Accept Yourself with Muscular Dystrophy Duchenne
My name is Christoph (@don.151), I'm 26 years old and I was diagnosed with a chronic disease called Muscular Dystrophy Duchenne. The muscles in my body lack the dystrophin protein, which means that I have less strength than most of you. Consequently, my daily life relies on the help of others in everything I do. As my disease has a progressive aspect I was lucky enough to walk until primary school giving me the opportunity to visit class just as everyone else was doing even later on in a wheelchair. This was only possible due to a strong network of friendships and my mother who truly fought for me and still does. There´s always a fighting mother behind every Duchenne child they used to say and that´s a fact you can´t deny.
my legacy to society with Dystrophy Duchenne
Despite my disability, I've managed to make my way to university where I did my bachelors degree in biology. After that, I found myself exactly in the job I wanted. Additionally, I had the best colleagues one could dream of and totally fell in love with the work I applied for. Unfortunately, the lung function I have is based on muscles that also decrease with Duchenne. Therefore, I have been using a ventilation machine for several years now. Since pneumonia two years ago, my life depends on pressure controlled ventilation and staying healthy has become a daily routine in my life. I use my ventilation machine about 10-12 hours a day now. Recently, I realized my advocacy capacity for Duchenne and for everyone struggling with chronic diseases. I want to break down barriers of fear not only for affected people but also for society. Creating awareness of ventilation systems, in general, is a huge topic as I feel people close their eyes towards this and there´s no open discussion. The most important message I can offer for everyone’s life: Do not lose your humor. There is humor in everything and with humor. yoocandoanything!
