I am cycling to Paris in 24 hours to help save the life of Eli and thousands like him with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), which at the moment is 100% fatal, but could be cured and dealt with outright in less than 10 years. Eli is my friend Emily's son and she and her husband Nick set up the Duchenne Children's Trust to focus raising money on research to find the cure - and there is progress but needs funds; there is also pressure on politicians, regulators, scientists and pharmaceutical companies for quicker access to necessary drugs. 

My plea to you .. is to part with some dosh ! Whatever you are able to give will make a difference.. I haven't ever asked people for money before so it's a little awkward, but I am happy to for this cause. I am also putting myself through the mill so to speak.. knees are agony.. years of abuse followed by years of neglect catching up .. not nearly as fit as I need to be so I am going through proper pain to do this - which I hope gives you some pleasure as you donate !!!

A bit more on Duchenne: 

It's the most common fatal genetic disorder to affect boys - they cannot produce dystrophin, a protein necessary for muscular survival, so every skeletal muscle in the body deteriorates. At the moment it is 100% fatal with no cure. Most children die in their early 20's and every child is wheelchair bound from between 12 and 14.

The good news is scientists are on the edge of finding a substantial treatment and possible cure. Every penny is going to research to expedite this. There are 8 trials in the UK and another in Holland all showing promise. There is no time to waste. We are trying to end "Duchenne in Ten" are there are 9 years left. It would be amazing to rid the world of this.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.