A MOTHER determined to help find a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) \u2013 a genetic condition that affects one in 5,000 live births including Chrissie Stobbs\u2019 six-year-old son \u2013 is hosting a community awareness walk on Saturday March 9 in Torquay.<\/p>\n
Ms Stobbs\u2019 son Zachy was diagnosed with DMD in May 2015 when he was just two, an earthshattering reality the mother of two said she\u2019s been running away from for a number of years.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne day you\u2019ve got a healthy two-year-old then the next day you\u2019re told he will lose the ability to walk,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were living in Dee Why, Sydney, at the time Zachy was diagnosed. We moved to Mount Duneed and I basically pretended it didn\u2019t happen. Four years later, it\u2019s only now that I\u2019m ready to accept and talk about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Muscular Dystrophy Australia (MDA), DMD is caused by a lack of dystrophin (protein) which causes muscles to deteriorate and break down, leading to progressive difficulty with walking and general mobility.<\/p>\n
The condition primarily affects boys. Spending so much time in anticipatory grief and self-blame, Ms Stobbs has struggled to come to terms with the debilitating disorder that\u2019s hindering her son\u2019s ability to live a normal life.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hold him at night and wonder, will you ever have a girlfriend? Will you travel?\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou see these videos of kids who are housebound, rolled over in bed, fed through tubes\u2026 and you begin to mourn the loss of what you thought life was going to be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite her worries as a mother, Ms Stobbs has become an active member across several parent support groups on Facebook and works alongside Save Our Sons Foundation \u2013 the peak body for Duchenne muscular dystrophy in Australia \u2013 to connect with other families and support DMD research.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am part of the reason why these guys (Save Our Sons) get up and do what they do every day,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about time we contributed to the cause as a whole, and now\u2019s a good time to raise awareness in the local area.\u201d<\/p>\n
Walk4Zachy will kick-off at 9am from Point Danger carpark before heading back to Cosy Corner for a swim and picnic.<\/p>\n
The goal is 7.9 kilometres to raise funds for Save Our Sons foundation in honour of Zachy and other children in the local community living with DMD.<\/p>\n
For more information, visit walk4duchenne.com.au\/donations\/team-stobbs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A MOTHER determined to help find a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) \u2013 a genetic condition that affects one in 5,000 live births including Chrissie Stobbs\u2019 six-year-old son \u2013 is hosting a community awareness walk on Saturday March 9 in Torquay. Ms Stobbs\u2019 son Zachy was diagnosed with DMD in May 2015 when he […]<\/p>\n