Jesse’s Journey is a London based charity that fights against Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), and this year it has officially changed its name to Defeat Duchenne Canada.
The organization was founded by John Davidson after his son Jesse was diagnosed with DMD in 1995. The two raised money and awareness for Duchenne when John pushed Jesse in his wheelchair for 3,500km across Ontario and later John walked across Canada for 286 days raising over 1.5 million dollars. Since then, Defeat Duchenne Canada has raised almost 15 million dollars total, including 1.7 million last year alone.
CEO Perry Esler says the name change is about trying to bring the mission into the branding of the organization. He notes that many people have never heard of Duchenne because of how rare a disease it is. The name change should help bring clarity to who and what the organization is fighting for, which will hopefully make the process of fundraising easier.
John Davidson and his family are very supportive of the change as they continue to be ambassadors for the cause and partake in the advertising for the new name. Jesse sadly passed away in 2009, but according to Esler the family believes “this is something that Jesse himself would have embraced because it is about helping every Duchenne family in the country and literally around the world.”
Esler confirmed that the Defeat Duchenne Canada will continue to operate as it always has with the same focus and goal in mind: to find a cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. He says, “It really is business as usual, I think this really is about empowering families coast to coast in whatever community they’re in.” For more information on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and how you can help, visit https://defeatduchenne.ca/
Comments