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Recent Quest Articles
From Summer Camp to Shamrocks
When Whitney Jorgensen, a 25-year-old MDA Shambassador from Farmington, Utah, visits stores in her area that participate in the MDA Shamrocks campaign, she knows firsthand how much the fundraising program does for individuals and families in the MDA community. “It’s a really good experience to be able to go to these stores and talk to cashiers and managers and be a face of the program and explain that this money is helping kids that I know,” she says.
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Having a Ball
Eric Salzwedel, a 29-year-old marketing director for a Madison, Wis., nonprofit, became an MDA Summer Camp counselor by chance. When he was a senior in high school, he saw a flyer about Summer Camp in his guidance counselor’s office, and it caught his interest. His first day of camp coincided with his high school graduation, so after walking off the stage with his diploma, he jumped into his parents’ car and headed to camp.
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Walking Strong
For Rene Runions, a 19-year-old sophomore at Saint Louis University (SLU), MDA has been a part of her life since she was diagnosed with Charcot- Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) in the sixth grade. She started attending MDA Summer Camp in her home state of Illinois and later was named the Illinois State Ambassador.
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Designing Her Dreams
Allie Williams, a 25-year-old who lives with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, earned her master’s degree in biomedical engineering from Texas A&M University in 2017. Williams always knew she wanted to help individuals with disabilities, but it wasn’t until her junior year of high school that she found the right fit.
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Productive Partnership
Since first partnering with MDA in 1985, Acosta, a full-service sales and marketing company focused on packaged consumer goods, has raised more than $82 million for MDA’s mission. Acosta’s staff support MDA through fundraising events, marketing promotions and even volunteering at MDA Summer Camps. Here are just some of the ways Acosta offices across the country have showed their support for MDA:
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Enter Stage Right
Matt Plummer, a 30-year-old graphic, web and thatrical designer in Fort Worth, Texas, will never forget the role that introduced him to the world of theater and art during his sophomore year of high school: Townsperson No. 3 in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. “I think a lot of people in my situation have a hard time expressing themselves,” says Plummer, who lives with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). “That experience really gave me a creative, artistic outlet to express myself and everything about me.”
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In Loving Memory of Jerry Lewis (1926-2017)
“The highlight of my time as MDA National Ambassador was interacting with Jerry. Not a moment could pass without an opportunity to laugh myself silly. Jerry Lewis will always be synonymous with pure dedication to a cause.” — Rocco Arizzi, National Ambassador 1979–1980, pictured above with Jerry Lewis
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Picture Perfect
Karen Condron’s passion for painting dates back to her first art lessons in 1968, but she only began showing her work at festivals in 2013, the same year she was diagnosed with bulbar-onset ALS. When ALS begins in the bulbar motor neurons, the muscles used for swallowing and speaking often are affected first.
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MDA Muscle Walk: Walking the Walk
“That encouraged us to start early this year,” Nash says. “And we ended up being No. 4 in the nation.” Team Matthew raised more than $24,000 this year through many different avenues: social media, the family’s friends and relatives, and Nash’s work in the wine industry. Beyond feeling great about raising money for a cure, the experience of being at the MDA Muscle Walk of St. Louis provided the family with fond memories.
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Game On
Participating in a clinical trial often means meeting some stringent requirements. One common requirement is the six-minute walk test, which measures the distance walked in six minutes and which may be used to help determine whether a drug is having an effect. This requirement can be a challenge for some individuals with neuromuscular diseases.
Read MoreMDA Resource Center: We’re Here For You
Our trained specialists are here to provide one-on-one support for every part of your journey. Send a message below or call us at 1-833-ASK-MDA1 (1-833-275-6321). If you live outside the U.S., we may be able to connect you to muscular dystrophy groups in your area, but MDA programs are only available in the U.S.
