Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is the most common lethal genetic disease of children worldwide. It is 100% fatal.
DMD is a progressive weakening defect of all the muscles in the body, including the heart, and primarily occurs in boys.
There is no cure, no treatment, and no survivors. Approx. 1 in every 2,400 boys worldwide is born with DMD;
Historically, many boys with DMD did not survive beyond their late teens or early 20s. However, with improved interventions—such as ventilatory support, steroid treatments, and proactive cardiac management—current data suggest that many individuals now live into their late 20s or early 30s.
In about 60% of the cases, DMD is inherited from the mother; in about 40% of the cases the disease is the result of spontaneous gene mutation, meaning anyone’s son could be born with DMD. DMD is a worldwide tragedy; kids of all colors, all nationalities, all classes, and all ethnic backgrounds die much too young, agonizingly, slowly, and painfully, from DMD.