Biking across Canada for Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy

Product Description

Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, Canada

Supporters

A little bit of context

I have a 10 year old patient called Anakin who unfortunately at a youg age was diagnosed with a disorder known as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Throughout our time together, he has inspired me to strive to help gain more insight in to this disorder and as a result of this, I want to do more. I want to help gain funding to better educate people about this disorder, to help the Foundation LaForce create a platform to provide this education and to help reasearch treatments and possible cures for DMD.

DMD is an acquired genetic disorder that predominantly affects young boys and is a progressive, degenerative disease of the muscles culminating in an inability to walk by their early teens and inevitably death by their mid twenties.

But there’s a problem For the first time in the history of DMD there is a glimmer of hope emerging on the horizon. Indeed, several new treatments are currently in the process of being approved around the world and are about to become available.

Science and technology have never advanced at a faster rate than we are now seeing! Treatments conceived with the objective of improving the quality of life of afflicted children and young adults will soon be upon us and recent developments lead us to believe that we are on the verge of curing this very grave disease.

To access the new treatments quickly in Canada, it is essential that the community be strong. Each involved person must be an active spokesperson who helps raise awareness for DMD among the public, as well as generating awareness for the challenges associated with access to treatment. Without a strong community of advocates, the children and young adults with DMD here in Canada, may not have access to these new developments and treatments for many years compared to their counterparts in Europe and USA.

Foundation LaForce’s mission is to unite the DMD community and to raise awareness around a common objective of providing access to new information and treatments as fast as possible and to participate in the funding of promising research.

Who am I and what am I doing?

My name is Bruce Babington and I am a UK trained osteopath working in Quebec, Canada. For the past year, I have been treating 10-year-old Anakin who was diagnosed several years ago with Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy. To say it devastated his family is an understatement. To witness the strength and determination of their commitment to raise awareness and to help Anakin achieve as normal a life as possible has been inspiring.

Foundation La Force was established to enable and unite the DMD community and to raise awareness around a common objective of providing access to new information and treatments as fast as possible and to participate in the funding of promising research. Many of the family’s friends and colleagues have done some wonderful things to help raise funds including racing Ironman and half-Ironman triathlons. It had been my intention to be one of these people but my own injuries don’t allow me to run as far as is necessary to complete the desired distance.

I needed a challenge. I want to help raise funds to better help the Foundation LaForce and to help promote awareness of DMD and to help promote the research so that we can help those that need it the most get the best possible care and treatment.

In July/August of 2018 my aim was to cycle across Canada from our home town of Mont Tremblant to Vancouver and raise as much money and awareness as possible. The distance was just shy of 5000km.

I am pleased to report that the trip was extremly successful and after leaving Mont Tremblant on the 8th July, I reached Prospect Point, Stanley Park, Vancouver on the 6th August – exactly 30 days and right on schedule!

The bike ride was truly amazing and a wonderful experience and one I would recommend to anyone. I would suggest doing it at a slower pace mind!! The scenery, the people and the country were simply amazing and to be able to do this for the DMD community was truly humbling and enlightening. There are some amazing stories out there of resiliance and determination from thos struggling with DMD. To all my supporters and to those particularly that have donated, you have been amazing. The amount raised so far by this crowdfunding project has been remarkable. However, there is no limit as to how much I want to raise, the more the better frankly. I am aiming on this crowd-funding site to raise inexcess of $20,000 but my goal is to raise considerably more…in the region of $100,000, and with your help this could be possible.

$13,485.13 of the money raised so far has been used to fund the crossing with the remainder, and any future donations, going to the Foundation La Force to help them in their quest to raise awareness and promote the desperately needed research.

What’s in it for you?

To be honest, I cannot offer you anything. There are no perks, at least not material ones. The emotional ones are potentially huge. The more I can raise, the better the quality of life for Anakin, for his family and the longer they can spend time together as a family. The longer he survives, the greater the chance of a cure for him and all the children and young adults affected with DMD…and it is a very realistic chance.

Please dig deep in to those pockets of yours. Please forgo just one coffee, a weeks coffee, even a months, ok that might be pushing it I know but you get the idea.

I truly believe that with your help we can make a difference…and not just for Anakin and his family but to the broader community of Duchenne patients.

Please believe and help. Thank you for your time, your help and your money…you have no idea how much it has been appreciated.

Bruce

Andrew Weinman

6 years ago

$1000

Judith Smith

7 years ago

$100

Donna Cappelli

7 years ago

$50

Daniel Goyette

7 years ago

$200

Antonia Newman

7 years ago

$50

Martin Lessard

7 years ago

$100

Sylvia Decarie

7 years ago

$25

Jane Binder

7 years ago

$25

Coco Pazzo Restaurant

7 years ago

$200

Annie Drouin

7 years ago

$18

Sandy McCall

7 years ago

$50

Pavel Freimann

7 years ago

$1000

CAMILLE RABY

7 years ago

$50

Lynn Gurr

7 years ago

$50

Paul Brown

7 years ago

$100

christopher lax

7 years ago

$300

Isabelle Martel Menard

7 years ago

$50

Anonymous

7 years ago

$25

Anonymous

7 years ago

$25

Henny Feldman

7 years ago

$50

Christopher Lax

Go Bruce I am proud of you Chris Lax

7 years ago

Andréa Gaudreau

Enjoy the amazing experience for an amazing cause! You are an inspiration to us all. Xo

7 years ago

Eric Cypihot

Félicitation Bruce pour ton implication.

7 years ago

Marie-Josee Vasseur

Félicitations pour votre implication. Je vous souhaite une belle traversée et un bon vent…de dos. Bonne chance que LaForce soit avec vous.

7 years ago

Bruce Babington

Merci beaucoup Marie-Josee. C’est très apprécie. @Marie-Josee Vasseur

7 years ago

Fernande PAQUET FEIST

Hope you get the amount you fixed yourself. Wish the weather is clement during your ride. Fernande

7 years ago

Bruce Babington

Thank you very much for your donation and your support. @Fernande PAQUET FEIST

7 years ago

Manon Routhier

Vous avez toute mon admiration M Babington ! Bonne traversée ! Manon Routhier

7 years ago

Bruce Babington

Merci beaucoup Manon. C’est très apprécie.@Manon Routhier

7 years ago

Joe Sklar

If you got a tandem bike, Joe Sklar said he will ride with you. Good Luck !!

7 years ago

Bruce Babington

That would surely be a lot of fun…I bags the back seat!!!!@Joe Sklar

7 years ago

Timothy Pepper

Good on you Bruce!

7 years ago

Bruce Babington

Thank you very much Timothy. @Timothy Pepper

7 years ago

Sophie duchaine

Have a nice trip and be safe!!

7 years ago

Bruce Babington

Merci beaucoup Sophie. @Sophie duchaine

7 years ago

Lynn Da Ledoux & Ozalee Bissonnette

Wow! what a great gesture you are making Bruce. You really do amazing things for your patients. Good luck. We’ll be cheering for you 🙂 From Ozalee Bissonnette & Lynn Da Ledoux xx

7 years ago

Bruce Babington

Thank you so much for your donation and your support. @Lynn Da Ledoux & Ozalee Bissonnette

7 years ago

Robert Champagne

Bruce, Je te félicite pour ton engagement envers cette cause Ce sont des personnes comme toi qui font et feront la différence dans la recherche et qui permettront de solutionner cette maladie. Bonne route! Amicalement Robert

7 years ago

Bruce Babington

Merci énormément Robert pour ton support et aide. C’est très apprécié. @Robert Champagne

7 years ago

ron caron

Pam and I wish you all the best!

7 years ago

Bruce Babington

Thank you so much for your support.@ron caron

7 years ago

Elisabeth Wood

I admire your incentive to fundraise for that cause. Good luck,

7 years ago

Bruce Babington

Thank you very much for your support and your donation. Let’s hope the wind is behind me!! @Elisabeth Wood

7 years ago

walter savery

Have a great ride.!!!

7 years ago

Bruce Babington

Thank you very much for your support Walter…much appreciated. @walter savery

7 years ago

ronald warren

Courage et bonne chance Bruce!

7 years ago

Bruce Babington

Merci beaucoup pour votre support. @ronald warren

7 years ago

MC & BEN Thibault Rudolphe

Ride proud, ride strong!

7 years ago

Bruce Babington

Always!! Thank you for your support and your donation. Very much appreciated. @MC & BEN Thibault Rudolphe

7 years ago

Christian Gagnon

Té beau, té bon, té capable !!! Should I translate ? 😉

7 years ago

Bruce Babington

Merci beaucoup mon ami…c’est très apprécié. @Christian Gagnon

7 years ago

Bruce Babington

Hi, I just wanted to say another huge thank you for everyone’s support of this crowdfunding campaign. Training has well-and-truly commenced and indeed, the effects of the muscles around my bottom can definitely bemoan the hours in the saddle!! Please let all your friends and family know of this project so that we can raise as much as possible to help raise awareness and funding towards a cure for DMD. Thank you again for all of your support. Bruce

Hi,

I just wanted to say another huge thank you for everyone’s support of this crowdfunding campaign.

Training has well-and-truly commenced and indeed, the effects of the muscles around my bottom can definitely bemoan the hours in the saddle!!

Please let all your friends and family know of this project so that we can raise as much as possible to help raise awareness and funding towards a cure for DMD.

Thank you again for all of your support.

Bruce

8 years ago

Tracey McDonald

Anakin and DMD are lucky to have you in their corner!! You amaze me!

8 years ago

Bruce Babington

First of all, can I just say a huge thank you to all of you for your donations, your belief in what I am doing and for your support. It has been a humbling experience and so far one that continues to excite me to strive to achieve more. Please help me by driving this message more by contacting all your friends and colleagues and spread the word as much as possible. The more people that know about this, the more I hope people will donate and the more good we can achieve. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Bruce

First of all, can I just say a huge thank you to all of you for your donations, your belief in what I am doing and for your support. It has been a humbling experience and so far one that continues to excite me to strive to achieve more.

Please help me by driving this message more by contacting all your friends and colleagues and spread the word as much as possible.

The more people that know about this, the more I hope people will donate and the more good we can achieve.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Bruce

8 years ago

wendy allen

Go Bruce!!

8 years ago

Bruce Babington

Alice Babington