Orange County Residents to Climb Quail Hill Trail to Raise Funds to Find a Cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

More than 100 people from Orange County will climb Quail Hill Trail in Irvine on June 23 as part of the annual “Climb to CureDuchenne: Pick Your Peak” event happening nationwide. People across the country are climbing a mountain, hill or tall building to increase awareness and raise funds to find a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. CureDuchenne, a nonprofit organization that raises awareness and funds research to cure Duchenne muscular dystrophy, organized the event.

Duchenne is a devastating muscle disease that affects 1 in 3,500 boys. Boys are usually diagnosed by the age of 5, in a wheelchair by 12 and most don’t survive their mid-20s. The funds raised for Climb to CureDuchenne support the most promising research projects aimed at treating and curing Duchenne.

Irvine resident Tiffany Cook helped organize the Orange County Climb to CureDuchenne and created “Team No Boundaries” to raise much needed funding for scientific research to find a cure for Duchenne. Cook’s son Wil, 12, was diagnosed with Duchenne at the age of 7 and is now in a wheelchair.   

“I’m hiking for my son, Wil, who cannot hike because Duchenne muscular dystrophy has stolen that ability from him,” said Cook. “I have three boys in my life with Duchenne: my son, my friend, and my student. Please join me as I express to these boys, and all 300,000 boys around the world living with Duchenne, that there are no boundaries to which we will travel to find a cure for Duchenne.”

School children, the Irvine High School football team, young professionals, families and other community members are hiking Quail Hill Trail and raising money in support of CureDuchenne. To register and join “Team No Boundaries,” click here. To donate to Climb to CureDuchenne, click here. 

“We appreciate everyone who supports Climb to CureDuchenne and are climbing on behalf of the those impacted with Duchenne who can’t,” said Debra Miller, founder and CEO of CureDuchenne. “Donations will support our research projects that are so close to treatments to save our sons’ lives.”

About CureDuchenne

CureDuchenne, a national nonprofit organization located in Newport Beach, Calif., is gaining international attention for its efforts to raise funds and awareness for Duchenne – a devastating and lethal muscle disease in children. One in every 3,500 male births results in a child being afflicted with the disease. More than 24,000 boys are living with the disease in the United States alone, and most will not survive their mid-20s.

The funds CureDuchenne raises support the most promising research projects aimed at treating and curing the disease with the help of its distinguished panel of Scientific Advisors from around the world. To date, seven research projects have made their way into human clinical trials with support from CureDuchenne. This accelerated push to move research from the lab into clinical trials could save the lives of those afflicted and give them hope for halting the progress of the disease. Very few health-related nonprofits have been as successful in being a catalyst for human clinical trials.