An expression of the live unlimited spirit, stories and voices of the MDA community
13-year-old Melissa Shang is an activist, an advocate and an author. She’s spoken at the United Nations, given a TedX talk and just published her first book. She is a girl on a mission. And it all started with an American Girl doll named Isabelle. For Melissa, Isabelle was the last straw. Every year, American . . .
Noah Hometown: Cortland, NY Age: 17 Diagnosis: I was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) Favorite School Subjects/Activities: My favorite school subject is history. Favorite People: My favorite people are my parents and my sister Katie. I also love spending time with my grandpa and my cat, Smokey, who is 16 years old. Interests: I like to read and I also . . .
They say “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” But my experience at the 53rd International Association of Fire Fighters convention was too good not to share with you. This wasn’t my first trip to Las Vegas, but it was the first time I found myself in Sin City on business. This trip made me . . .
Navigating through college isn’t easy for anyone, but it can be especially tricky for people with disabilities. Here are some quick tips to help those of you heading off to college this fall — as well as anyone considering attending university one day. 1. Pick a school you want to attend, not one you are . . .
Since its inception, MDA has invested more than $1 billion in neuromuscular disease research to uncover new treatments and cures. In 2016 alone, MDA awarded 66 new research, development and research infrastructure grants with a total funding commitment of more than $17 million. These and other MDA grants fund research projects designed to uncover the . . .
This summer MDA challenged our families, friends, sponsors, staff and others around the nation to share their stories about living life without limits despite the challenges of neuromuscular disease. Some shared moments tied to pursuing an education or career that was thought to be out of reach. Some talked about skydiving, hiking or running a . . .
Groundbreaking research plays a pivotal role in our mission to accelerate treatments and cures for muscular dystrophy, ALS and related life-threatening diseases. Each winter and summer, we award grants to researchers worldwide studying to make impacts across diseases. For our Summer 2016 Research Grants Cycle, we’re happy to announce $6.7 million in newly awarded funding. . . .
Marathon Pharmaceuticals has announced pivotal Phase 3 data evaluating the investigational drug deflazacort for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy in the journal Neurology. The study results show that deflazacort demonstrated significant improvement in muscle strength compared with placebo in 12 weeks. In addition, results show that deflazacort was associated with less weight gain than . . .
Osaka-based Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma announced today that its New Drug Application (NDA) for the drug edaravone to treat people with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) was accepted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The Japanese pharmaceutical company said it expects a decision on whether it can market the drug in the United States by June 16, 2017. . . .
Happy shrieks erupted from the crowd as Payton Smotherman was wheeled into the mob of campers. “As soon as I pushed her into the group of people in her wheelchair, like four or five people all saw her and recognized her at once,” says Angela, Payton’s mom. She chuckled as she recalled diving out of . . .
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