Get running for Ronan!

  It’s a subject that’s very close to Marcella’s heart. Five years ago, her eight-year-old son Ronan was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the most severe form of the degenerative condition, and one which only affects boys. Now, at 13, Ronan is preparing to make the transition to secondary school and Marcella is aiming to do her utmost to raise funds for research into the condition. Currently, there’s no cure for muscular dystrophy and Marcella is pinning her hopes on on-going research into the condition. ‘Children are usually diagnosed at age one and a half to two, but Ronan wasn’t diagnosed until age eight when it was noticed that he had developed a difficulty climbing on to the school bus. He was diagnosed at Temple Street in September 2002.’ The condition affects muscles and is degenerative. Ronan is now confined to a wheelchair. ‘There is no cure, but there is research on-going at the moment and trials going on. At the end of the day, that’s down to funding. There are 500 families in Ireland with some form of muscular dystrophy, but only a small number of boys have Duchenne. Life expectancy is much shorter. There are trials going on and we are trying to raise some money for research.’ This week, Marcella is appealing to women in the Roscommon area to do the mini marathon in June for muscular dystrophy research. To raise awareness and funds, Marcella recently appeared on the Afternoon Show on RTE and had a tremendous reaction. ‘The response after the Afternoon Show was fantastic, not alone from people on the show, but from families throughout Ireland who are in the same predicament’.  Marcella is looking for support from local parents and hopes to organise a bus to go to the mini marathon in June. ‘You can go with a friend and walk or run the mini marathon. It’s not about being fit. It’s about raising money for muscular dystrophy research and getting out and having an enjoyable day and doing it for a good cause.’ ‘I’m here now at the moment and I have to do everything in my power to make sure that he’s chosen for a trial. People have been very supportive to date,’ stated Marcella. Get going for Marcella and Ronan. Organise your friends and get on that bus to Dublin and help raise badly needed funds for research. Contact Marcella on (086) 8748367 or (090) 66 29721 or Alison Neary on (086) 1609323.