Hamilton-based nonprofit Ryan’s Quest is asking area residents to participate in its Friday, Sept. 6 Dress Down for Duchenne Awareness Day.
The goal of the corporate dress-down day is to raise awareness of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a progressive disorder affecting 1 out of every 3,500 newborn boys. Boys affected by DMD typically will lose their ability to walk between the ages of 8 and 12, require respiratory support by their late teens and survive only into their 20s. DMD has a 100 percent fatality rate, and there is no cure currently.
Hamilton residents David and Maria Schultz started Ryan’s Quest in February 2008, after their then-2-year-old son Ryan had been diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy in December 2007. The Schultzes hoped to use Ryan’s Quest to find a cure to DMD.
Ryan’s Quest continues with this mission, hoping to raise awareness with the purpose of getting funds allocated for research into a cure or treatment for DMD. The nonprofit will be accepting donations as part of the Sept. 6 dress-down day. Checks may be made payable to Ryan’s Quest.
For more information, go online to ryansquest.org.
