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Premier Allergy to Sponsor Little Hercules Foundation’s Duchenne Dash

Saturday, 13 May 2017 07:54 AM

Premier Allergy

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Premier Allergy partners up with the Little Hercules Foundation to raise awareness and funds for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy research.

COLUMBUS, OH / ACCESSWIRE / May 13, 2017 / Premier Allergy, Central Ohio’s leading allergy and asthma practice, has announced its partnership with the Little Hercules Foundation, Ohio’s only non-profit organization providing research funding toward Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy treatments and/or cures to sponsor the Duchenne Dash, a 5K/10K walk/run, which will take place on May 13 at Glacier Ridge Metro Park in Plain City, Ohio.

This event aims to raise awareness and funds for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), a rare, fatal, genetic condition that affects one in every 5,000 male births. Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is the most common and severe form of muscular dystrophy and is characterized by progressive muscular degeneration and weakness. Symptoms start to show between the ages of 3-6, loss of ambulation occurs between 8-12, and without any treatments, life expectancy of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy patients is only 25 years, although progression can vary greatly.

"Everyone knows what cancer is and at least one person affected by it," says Kelly Maynard, Little Hercules Foundation’s Founder and President. "When you are dealing with a condition as rare as DMD, there is never enough awareness. This deadly disease robs our boys from running, jumping and playing sports. These children will never have a normal childhood. We have created our annual Duchenne Dash fundraiser to educate the community on this rare condition and help with research funding."

The staff of Premier Allergy are no strangers to the problem. With one of their fellow employees’ family affected by the disease, the clinic came together to support their colleague and made a collective decision to help with the fundraiser.

"We were deeply saddened to learn about the condition of our employee’s son," says Dr. Summit Shah, owner of Premier Allergy. "We are always dedicated to helping the community, but this event is especially important to us. Therefore, we made it a priority to give back to the community and partner up with the Little Hercules Foundation to sponsor their annual Duchenne Dash event."

As it turns out, Ohio is a world-renowned place to get the best DMD treatment and care. Both Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital have world-class DMD specialists. In conjunction with other research centers, these hospitals have been able to make significant strides in finding a solution for the children affected by DMD. Last year the US Food and Drug Administration approved the first ever DMD treatment option, but it is mutation specific and only helps 13% of the patient population.

"A lot of blood, sweat and tears got us to this place," said Maynard in her open letter on the Little Hercules Foundation’s website. "When we received word of my son’s diagnosis four years ago, I thought happiness was bygone. However, this victory is symbolic of what can happen when many people band together and say ‘You will not take my son’s life without a fight."

The Duchenne Dash’s proceeds will help fund further research and clinical trials to create more treatment options and ultimately find a cure for all of those affected by Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. To date, the organization has managed to raise $167,000, has provided funding for 7 research projects, provided over $12,000 in direct to assistance to families in the form of medical equipment and financial assistance, and is less than $10,000 away from its goal for this year’s Duchenne Dash.

"We are very honored to be a part of this amazing event and truly believe that when communities come together and stay with their members during the trying times of their lives, beautiful things will happen," says Dr. Shah.

About The Little Hercules Foundation:
Little Hercules Foundation is a registered, non-profit 501(c) (3) organization based in Dublin, Ohio. Little Hercules Foundation got its start in January 2013 when three moms, two of whom had sons diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, decided to host events to help fund research. Since then, Little Hercules Foundation has grown into much more. Today, Little Hercules Foundation focuses on improving the lives of those diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy through four main pillars: Advocacy, Awareness, Family Assistance and Funding Research. Little Hercules Foundation hosts the Duchenne Dash and the Little Hercules Golf Classic each year as its premier fundraising events.

To learn more about DMD and the Little Hercules Foundation, visit https://littleherculesfoundation.org/

About Premier Allergy:
Premier Allergy is Central Ohio’s leading allergy and asthma practice with 10 locations in the Greater Columbus area. The specialists offer fast allergy relief to local residents, and perform ground-breaking treatments, such as rush immunotherapy, for its patients. For more information about Premier Allergy, visit https://www.premierallergyohio.com

Contact:
Little Hercules Foundation and Premier Allergy
Phone: 6143614537
For more information, please visit http://www.premierallergyohio.com


Source: Premier Allergy
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