The County Down brothers are fighting a rare and severe form of muscular dystrophy that is both incurable and life-limiting. But thanks to the diligence of teachers, the love of their parents, and the expertise of medical professionals, they are making amazing progress. And you can help them on that journey.
DonateHow it
all began
Their story
It all began when Brody’s teacher noticed that he couldn’t get off the floor as quickly as the other children after story time and told his mum and dad. Alison and Mark took Brody to the doctor and after physio, tests, and a referral to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast and Guys and St Thomas Hospital in London, Brody was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Six weeks later, Brody’s brother, Cooper, also tested positive for the same incurable disease.
Our lives were changed forever. We know this illness has the potential to end the lives of Brody and Cooper in their childhood. The family circle communicated with other parents of children with Duchenne, about researching experimental treatments and enrolled Brody in a study trial in USA, in the hope of being able to stave off the effects of the disease.
Brody and Cooper’s own fight against DMD then began.
The treatment made such a positive difference to Brody that Alison and Mark registered Cooper for the same research and returned to the US with both brothers at the start of this year so they could each receive treatment.