It’s 2018 – happy new year! When the calendar changes over, it always seems to bring about feelings of a fresh start, another chance to achieve any of the goals that haven’t been checked off the “to do” list yet.
For Defeat Duchenne Canada, 2018 isn’t just another year. We’re celebrating the 20th anniversary of John Davidson’s walk across Canada!
On April 10, 1998, John began his walk at the east coast of Newfoundland. As he stood there looking out over the Atlantic Ocean, he realized that he was closer to Ireland than to Victoria. But Victoria was where he was headed – walking 33km per day until he reached the Pacific. He did it out of love for his son, Jesse, and to raise funds and awareness for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
20 years later, we have come a long way. Things that John could only dream about while he walked across the country are becoming a reality. Life expectancies for boys with Duchenne are longer, there are more clinical trials, and research breakthroughs keep coming.
We’re not there yet – there’s still a lot of work to be done to find the cure for Duchenne. But we are carrying on the determination that John felt at kilometer 1 of 8,300.
We hope you will join us this year as we celebrate 20 years of hope and innovation, and get ready to launch the next 20!
Here are some ways you can get involved:
- Register for the virtual walk-run-roll across Canada at defeatduchenne.ca/vwrr
- Purchase a ticket or a table for The Journey Continues – a special event taking place on April 10 in London, Ontario – click here for more information
Support the Journey to a Cure campaign – an initiative to help fund an exciting and revolutionary Duchenne research project at the University of Toronto Mississauga – click here for more information