September 7th is World Duchenne Awareness Day. The 7th
day of the 9th month represents the 79 exons of the dystrophin gene.
It is mutations of this gene that are responsible for Duchenne Muscular
Dystrophy, the most severe type of muscular dystrophy. Symptoms of voluntary muscle weakness
generally begin around the age of 4 and get progressively worse over time. Children with DMD will often lose the ability to walk sometime between the ages
of 10-14 and their life expectancy is estimated to be in the low to mid 20’s. Currently, there is no cure for Duchenne as it is 100% fatal.
For one church community in Central Ohio, there are faces
behind the statistics and the impact of Duchenne hits very close to home. Discover Christian Church in Dublin, Ohio has
three members of its church community who are battling Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. For this reason, Discover Christian Church has decided for the second year in a row to
dedicate the proceeds of their annual Cruisin’ for a Cause Car and Truck Show
on Sept. 16th, 2018 to help find a cure for Duchenne Muscular
Dystrophy.
Many folks in Buckeye nation may recognize the name Jacob
Jarvis. Jake, a member of Discover Christian Church, is a young man with DMD
who was befriended by Coach Urban Meyer at a practice in 2013. Coach Meyer saw
something special that drew him to Jake, and their friendship persists to
this day. Click here to read more about Jacob's special story.
Jacob Jarvis with his good friend Urban Meyer.
Jake was then adopted by the OSU program as an honorary Buckeye. He and his family have a special place in the heart of Buckeye Nation. He served alongside his good friends Jeff Heuerman, Doran Grant, Michael Bennett, and Curtis Grant as an honorary captain in a game against Cincinnati.
Jake was able to witness in person the glory of the national
championship victory at the conclusion of the 2014 season. The whole nation
then watched Jake score the final touchdown in the annual OSU Spring football
game in 2017 as the moment went viral on social media and Jake was solidified
in Buckeye lore forever. Here is the video of that special moment.
Jacob and his brother Noah entering the field against
Cincinnati.
If you look closely in the picture of Jake as he served as
honorary captain against Cincinnati, you will notice his younger brother Noah
riding along on the back of Jake’s wheelchair during that memorable moment. Noah is 10 years old and also has DMD. He will undoubtedly face many of the
same challenges that his older brother has faced. Levi Rhodes, a young boy in his early teens
is another member of Discover Christian Church, who like Jake and Noah is also fighting
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
Levi, Noah and Jake manning a table at last year’s event.
Cruisin’ for a Cause started out as Hot Rods for Haiti in
2010 as a means to raise money for Haiti, after the nation was ravaged by a
hurricane. It has since become an annual event for Discover Christian Church to
pay it forward and share the love of Christ in their community. Last year all
the proceeds went to Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy one of the leading
organizations in the fight to end Duchenne. This year the proceeds will go to CureDuchenne another
organization on the frontlines in the battle to end Duchenne.
Cruisin’ for a Cause consists primarily of a car and truck
show where people from all across Ohio are bringing their vehicles to be judged.
One of the cars from last year’s show.
Those who wish to enter their vehicle will park in the
church parking lot and there is a $10 entry fee. Admittance is free for those
who simply wish to attend the event and they can park in the Meijer parking lot
across from the church. The event is from 1pm-6pm with registration running
from 1pm-3pm. The show begins at 3:00pm and culminates in the trophy
presentation at 5:30pm.
Flyer with all the details for this years event.
One of the unique aspects of the event is the custom
hand-crafted trophies made by Ark Hot Rods which will be rewarded at the
conclusion of the show to the victors.
Hand crafted trophy from last years event made by Alec Carpenter of Ark Hot Rods.
The show is a family friendly event for those who love cars
and trucks, and for those who just want to have a fun filled day of food, music
and activities for kids of all ages. There will be vendors set up from all over
Ohio, and there will be a craft show and a silent auction with all kinds of
items for sports lovers.
There are many ways you can help if you are unable to attend
the event. Items are still needed for the silent auction. Last year there was a signed Eddie George and
Orlando Pace jersey and all kinds of other OSU, Blue Jackets and items from
other Ohio professional sports teams. Please include the item value and they
can be mailed or dropped off at the church office to Kristin Carpenter. For
those who would like to donate, checks can be made out to Discover Christian
Church with CureDuchenne in the memo.
Discover Christian Church
2900 Martin Road
Dublin, Ohio 43017
Finally, if you go to Discover Christian Church’s website you will see
that their mission is to, “LOVE GOD, LOVE PEOPLE, and IMPACT THE WORLD through relational community.” On Sept.
16th let’s show up in force and help them carry out their mission. What better way can we love others, and impact the world, then by curing
Duchenne.
Nicholas Jackson
Copyright 2018 Nicholas Jackson - All rights reserved.
Nick is a 1997 graduate of Ohio University, in Athens, Ohio where he received his B.S in Biological Sciences. He went on to receive his Master’s Degree in Physical Therapy at Andrews University in Dayton, Ohio and then his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Chatham University in Pittsburgh. He has been published in the Newark Advocate, The Granville Sentinel, and the St. Louis Metro Voice; and professionally in the Journal of Acute Care Physical Therapy. Nick has also been a guest host on 88.9 WLRY and 880AM WRFD
Permission to reprint article required from author
Nick’s email: gobucks2204@gmail.com
Nicholas Jackson
Copyright 2018 Nicholas Jackson - All rights reserved.
Nick is a 1997 graduate of Ohio University, in Athens, Ohio where he received his B.S in Biological Sciences. He went on to receive his Master’s Degree in Physical Therapy at Andrews University in Dayton, Ohio and then his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Chatham University in Pittsburgh. He has been published in the Newark Advocate, The Granville Sentinel, and the St. Louis Metro Voice; and professionally in the Journal of Acute Care Physical Therapy. Nick has also been a guest host on 88.9 WLRY and 880AM WRFD
Permission to reprint article required from author
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