It's conquering a challenge that thrills me, said Milka Duno

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Clearly, muscle diseases present different challenges from those of racing. Yet there are similarities in the approach that must be taken to win.



In racing, winning takes precise timing, mechanical knowledge, stamina and above all, unwavering focus. Similar qualities are required to painstakingly peer into the flawed genes that cause muscle diseases and discover how to coax them into working properly.

MDA's research program currently funds about 400 projects worldwide.



Promising treatments are moving from the research bench into development by drug companies. The pace may seem slow to those waiting anxiously for cures, but it's clear that MDA is in this race to win.



There's another similarity between medical research and racecar driving: Without money, the whole process rolls to a stop.



MDA funds are used not only for research, but for medical care, wheelchairs, braces, communication devices, public health information and summer camps, where children with neuromuscular diseases are free to stretch their adventurous spirits.



On Sept. 4-5, the 2005 Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon will be raising funds to keep the MDA team on the road. I'm proud to be part of this effort, and I ask you to be part of it, too. I know that, with our help, the challenge of muscular dystrophy can be conquered and that makes me very happy.”

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