Tyler Armstrong, 8, Summits Mount Kilimanjaro To Cure Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Second Youngest Person Ever to Reach the Top of Mt. Kilimanjaro Climbed for a Cause

Newport Beach, CA, July 2, 2012: Eight-year-old Tyler Armstrong became the second youngest person ever to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro. Tyler, of Yorba Linda, Calif., and his team climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro June 25 through July 2 to raise awareness and funds to find a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Tyler wants to raise more than $19,341 – a dollar for every foot he climbed –for CureDuchenne, a nonprofit that funds research to find a cure for Duchenne, a devastating muscle disease that impacts one in 3,500 boys.

“I did it! I climbed to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro for my friends Hawken, Suhail and Wil and the other boys with Duchenne who can’t climb,” said Tyler. Tyler and CureDuchenne’s Hawken’s Heroes team summited on July 1 at 3:30 a.m. EST and descended down the mountain today. Dealing with the effects of altitude, Tyler needed some assistance the last 1,000 feet but successfully made it to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro.

As the most common and lethal form of muscular dystrophy, Duchenne impacts 300,000 boys worldwide. Boys with Duchenne are usually diagnosed by the age of 5, in a wheelchair by age 12 and most don’t survive their mid-20s.

“It was cool to be on top of Mt. Kilimanjaro,” said Tyler. “It would be even cooler if they could find a cure for Duchenne. We need everyone’s help to find a cure. CureDuchenne needs money to help save boys’ lives.”

CureDuchenne (CureDuchenne.org) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding research to find treatments, and ultimately a cure, so that this generation of those impacted with Duchenne can be saved. Tyler’s climb was coordinated through CureDuchenne, as part of the fourth annual Climb to CureDuchenne. The funds raised for Climb to CureDuchenne support the most promising research projects aimed at treating and curing Duchenne.

“It was amazing to reach the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro led by a courageous young boy with a big heart,” said Paul Miller, co-founder of CureDuchenne and Duchenne parent who summited Mt. Kilimanjaro along with Tyler. “Tyler helped us reach new heights on the mountain just as we are reaching new heights in the research to find a cure for Duchenne.”

To learn more about Tyler visit TopWithTyler.com. To support Tyler and help him reach his $19,341 fundraising goal, donate here.

Travel Dirty is the official travel sponsor for the Mt. Kilimanjaro climb. The international travel agency caters to those who want their vacations to include both stunning locations and athletic adventures.

About CureDuchenne
CureDuchenne is a national nonprofit organization located in Newport Beach, Calif., dedicated to finding a cure for Duchenne, the most common and most lethal form of muscular dystrophy. As the leading genetic killer of young boys, Duchenne affects more than 300,000 boys worldwide.

CureDuchenne has garnered international attention for its efforts to raise funds and awareness for Duchenne. With the help of CureDuchenne’s distinguished international panel of Scientific Advisors, funds raised by CureDuchenne support the most promising research aimed at treating and curing Duchenne. To date, seven CureDuchenne research projects have made their way into human clinical trials – a unique accomplishment as few health-related nonprofits have been successful in being a catalyst for human clinical trials