Blog Category: Stronger Stories

Alex Leyva, 16, was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy at the age of five. Alex’s diagnosis quite literally turned the Perez family’s world upside down. Living in Cuba, his family didn’t have the resources needed to care for Alex, so they picked up their things and emigrated to Miami, Florida.

Meet the Garcia Family! Brothers, Ricky, 14 years old and Isaiah, 12 years old, live in Florida with their parents Jahaira and Ricardo, and their service dog, Beasley. Both brothers are living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a progressive and rare neuromuscular disorder, and use motorized wheelchairs to get around.

Declan Hickey is your typical 14-year-old New Englander: major Boston sports fan, skilled fantasy football consultant, experienced PlayStation gamer, and expert binge-watcher of television’s finest shows. Declan is also impacted by Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

John Ward comes from a big multicultural family in rural Colorado–he has eight siblings and countless nieces, nephews, and cousins. He loves horticulture (which he is currently studying at Front Range Community College), spicy Cajun and Creole food, his boxer dog named Major, Halloween, art, video games, and WWII and horror movies.

Fourteen-year-old Avier absolutely loves video games. He loves visiting new places, learning new things, eating seafood, and collecting comic books… but nothing compares to his love for video games. Avier is living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a genetic disorder characterized by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness.

Andrew Smith is your typical 21-year-old from Georgia. He is a major history buff and has plans to further his education in the near future. Andrew is also living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, but he doesn’t let that stop him from living life to the fullest.