PPMD Day 1: Together Again

PPMD Day 1: Together Again

Part 1 of Winheld's World coverage of Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy’s (PPMD) 2008 Annual Conference, July 17-20, in Philadelphia.

It was a family reunion of sorts today, as Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy kicked off its annual conference.It was an opportunity to reconnect with a number of parents and medical professionals I had met at last year's conference. Here I am with Dr. Steve Wilton, of the Australian Neuromuscular Research Institute, one of the world's leading Duchenne researchers. I also met a bunch of new faces, some of whom already knew me from this blog and/or my book. It seems I have become quite a celebrity. But don't worry, I won't let it get to my head...well, not too much, anyway!

On a more serious note, as I watched a video about PPMD at the beginning of today's proceedings, I was in awe of what this organization has been able to accomplish in only 14 years. They're at the forefront in developing care considerations for DMD and are investing heavily in research to find a treatment for the disease. Many people are responsible for PPMD's development, but without the vision and energy of PPMD President Pat Furlong, I doubt that any of this would happened. I salute you, Pat, and promise to do my part for as long as I live.