Duchenne Muscular
Dystrophy Awareness Week
February 13th-19th, 2005
Did
you know that:
Muscular Dystrophy is a broad term used to label gene-related
disorders that affect muscles throughout the body
All ethnic groups are equally susceptible to muscular
dystrophy.
A Duchenne muscular dystrophy diagnosis will inevitably affect
everyone who is close to the child including parents, grandparents,
extended family members and friends.
The information provided above was adapted from facts provided by
Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD). More facts can be found
by accessing their website at: parentprojectmd.org.
The Kids on the
Block Program on Muscular Dystrophy is designed to educate children
about
a variety of issues associated with muscular dystrophy in general while
focussing specifically on a character who has Duchenne or DMD.
Through meeting puppet characters, Shane Davis--who has DMD, his
sister Carrie and some of their friends and family, children are made
more aware of some of the
needs of children with muscular dystrophy and issues affecting their
siblings and peers.
This program
also explores the importance of open communication between a child with
MD and parents or other adult care-givers. A question and answer
period at the end of each script allows children to ask questions
directly to the puppet characters for broad based education.
Follow-up activities are also included.
