09/07/2025
Today is World Duchenne Awareness Day (WDAD)—observed every year on September 7 to raise awareness of Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy (DMD and BMD). In the U.S. it’s 9/7; elsewhere it’s 7/9 (dd/mm), a nod to the 79 exons in the dystrophin gene.
What’s the dystrophin gene?
• It’s a large gene on the X chromosome with 79 exons. It makes dystrophin, a protein that helps protect muscle cells.
• In DMD, changes in the gene often stop dystrophin from being made, leading to earlier, faster muscle weakness.
• In BMD, the gene often makes a shorter, partly working dystrophin, so symptoms tend to start later and progress more slowly.
Family focus
2025’s theme is “Family: The Heart of Care,” honoring the love, coordination, and advocacy families provide every day.
At Flex for Kal
Our hope is to help and support these families because we know firsthand the challenges we face. We listen, share what we’ve learned, and stand beside families so no one has to walk this road alone.
How you can help today
• Share this post.
• If you’d like to learn more, visit worldduchenneday.org.
By standing together on World Duchenne Awareness Day, we turn awareness into action and action into hope. To everyone living with DMD or BMD, and to every caregiver: we see you, we honor your strength, and we’re moving forward together.