[June 23, 2011]

Seven Strong to Climb 350 U.S. Capitol Steps in Washington, D.C., to Raise Awareness and Funds for Cure Duchenne

At 8 a.m. on Friday, June 24^th, in an effort to dramatize the discrepancy between the number of Duchenne cases diagnosed and the amount of funding allocated to finding a cure, seven advocates will climb the steps of one of the most symbolically important buildings in the world, the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., to raise awareness and funds for Cure Duchenne - a national nonprofit in Newport Beach, Calif.

Duchenne has no known cure, with most patients only living to the age of 25. Despite the disease's devastating impact on its sufferers, Duchenne research is severely underfunded. The National Institutes of Health indicates Juvenile Diabetes received $433 million and Pediatric AIDS received $262 million for research in 2007. Duchenne, by comparison, received $23 million despite affecting more individuals than Pediatric AIDS. In spite of far too little funding for this fatal disease, several research projects are yielding initial success in laboratory animals and in human patients.

Getting access to climb the U.S. Capitol building's 350 steps to the top of the Dome was made possible with the help of Congressman Jim Moran, D-VA, of Northern Virginia's 8^th Congressional District. Leading the climb is Monica Kohn, of Washington, D.C., who dubbed her team, Team Cooper, in support of her cousin's son Cooper,9, of Hermosa Beach, Calif., who was diagnosed with Duchenne in 2006.

Kohn's daughter, Natalie, 4, will join the climb and will take a photo of the historic moment when they reach the top of the Dome to share with Cooper. "Every step she takes is a step for Cooper, who isn't able to take on such a feat. We want everyone to know that a cure for Duchenne is possible if we all take on the challenge," said Kohn.

About Cure Duchenne

Cure Duchenne, a national nonprofit organization located in Newport Beach, Calif., is gaining international attention for its efforts to raise funds and awareness for Duchenne - a devastating and lethal muscle disease in children. One in every 3,500 males born is diagnosed with the disease. Nearly 20,000 boys are living with Duchenne in the United States alone, and many will not survive their teenage years. The disorder knows no ethnic or social boundaries.

The funds Cure Duchenne raises support the most promising research projects aimed at treating and curing the disease with the help of its distinguished panel of Scientific Advisors from around the world. To date, six research projects have made their way into human clinical trials with support from Cure Duchenne. This accelerated push to move research from the lab into clinical trials could save the lives of those afflicted and give them hope for halting the progress of the disease. Very few health-related nonprofits have been as successful in being a catalyst for human clinical trials. Cure Duchenne also works tirelessly to bring awareness to the disease through extensive outreach, promotions and celebrity endorsements. For more info. please visit: www.cureduhenne.org.

About Congressman Jim Moran

Currently serving his eleventh term in office, Congressman Moran serves as ranking member of the Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee - overseeing the budgets for the EPA, Interior Department, and Smithsonian. Congressman Moran has a long history of working to improve our nation's health, advocating for robust research and development funding, working to restore mental health parity, and fighting to improve our health care system. He serves as co-chair on the Congressional Prevention Caucus and the Animal Protection Caucus, leads the Task Force on Sovereign Wealth Funds and was an original co-founder of the New Democratic Coalition.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]