Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Awareness Week begins on February 13th and runs through the 19th of that month. It is an observance week that attempts to bring national attention to those affected by this genetic disorder. Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, or DMD for short, is a genetic disorder that affects the X chromosome and causes weakness and muscle degeneration.

Other symptoms of this disorder include delayed motor development, toe walking, enlarged calf muscles, and progressive enlargement of the heart. There is currently no cure, and that is why this week is so important. Everyone needs to come together to observe it, to raise funds for research, and hopefully, sometime in the future, put an end to this terrible condition.

Facts About Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Awareness Week

As we researched this observance week, we did a deep dive into this condition, its causes, and its effects. We have distilled these facts down into the following list to highlight the impact that this disease has on the people suffering from it and their families.

• Approximately 1 in 3,500 boys are born with Duchenne.
• There are 300,000 known sufferers of this disease in the world.
• There is no known cure, and this disease is 100% fatal.
• The average life expectancy of a person with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is 25 years of age.
• This disease almost exclusively affects boys.

Observing Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Awareness Week

Since the entire purpose of this observance week is to spread the word about this disease and its impacts on people’s lives, it is important for people celebrating it to actually do just that. Anyone wishing to observe this holiday can help spread the word about this disease.

People are also encouraged to donate whatever time and money they can to the cause. Together, we can all work towards a cure and help ease the pain experienced by those suffering from it.