53 red balloons for Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Footprints Special Needs School showed their support for World Duchenne Awareness Day which fell on 7 September.

This was a special day for the school as one of their own, Jason Winslow (10), suffers from Duchenne muscular dystrophy. This inherited genetic disorder is a progressive muscular weakness, typically in boys. It is said that one in 5 000 newborn boys in the world is affected by the rare and fatal disease.

To mark the day the school, along with Winslow’s parents Bronson and Christine, let 53 red balloons go. This was to mark Winslow’s need for the Exon Skipping 53 drug.

This drug aims to restore production of the dystrophin protein (a protein that is said to be located primarily in muscles used for movement and in heart muscle) it improves motor ability as he is now wheelchair bound because of the genetic disorder.

His mother, Christine, said they want to bring about awareness of the disease as it is not well known like cancer and others. She added that parents should pay close attention to their baby’s development and that they go through all the milestones a child should.

“Jason was born like any other child, but his development was late,” she said. Adding that had they known sooner, they would have started him on the medication.

Sharon Rowe, headmistress of the school said Jason is currently in the phase four class and will move to the intermediate phase next year.

“He is a hard worker who has different ways of learning.” As he is now in a wheelchair, they have had to adapt certain things to accommodate him.

Rowe said the awareness they are trying to create is that everyone is different and shouldn’t be judged on their differences.

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