Don't let this diagnosis win. Your son has a chance. Your son may not grow up to be a football player, however, he has a great chance of growing up.

I understand your pain as my son was also diagnosed with Duchenne April 15, 1996. Myself and my family were devastated. The emotions were ripping through me. The anger, the fear, more anger, sadness, more anger, pain beyond my wildest belief, more anger and tears. And that was just the first 5 minutes. My son's pediatrician said I went through all the steps of grieving  in 10 minutes.

I was told by another Dr. to "just enjoy him while you can". That wasn't good enough for me. I wanted to help. I wanted to learn about this illness. I wanted to help find the cure. This turned out to be excellent therapy for me. My wife and I started The Danny Foundation and have been raising money for the cure ever since. My first and best resource for information is The Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy. They were the first to tell me that my son has a future.

During the last 8 years, I have learned to enjoy my family more than ever. I appreciate our time together. I believe this diagnosis has made me a better father to both my kids. I'm so glad I didn't waste too much time feeling sorry for myself and being miserable. Don't misunderstand, I still hurt, but I've learned to bury the hurt and seize the moment. Please don't let this diagnosis win. Feel free to e-mail me @ TheDannyFoundation@verizon.net if you would like to talk. I have so much more I can tell you. You can also call me at (727) 726-4657. I'm not asking for money or anything other than the chance to help you "not let this diagnosis win".

During this time I've also met some of the top Scientists and Doctors researching Duchenne MD in the world. I've attended conferences with scientists and parents from around the world. The experience has amazing.

Don't give up. The cure is coming!!!

Don Gorman,
Danny's Dad