Thank you Shire Australia!

There has been a very kind donation on Shire Australia Pty Ltd's part! YAY!!

Thank you very much, Shire!

On their homepage: "Shire Australia is a wholly owned subsidiary of Shire plc, a global specialty biopharmaceutical company that works closely with specialist physicians, nurses, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals to develop and market medicines that improve quality of life for patients, their families and carers."

I totally adore their motto: "To be as brave as the people we help."
Doing this trek, I can understand how it feels to wonder... will I ever do enough to make a difference?

Need.. More.. Sponsorsss.....

Gosh how time flies o_O

Well, I've sold 3.5 boxes of chocs/gummies out of six. It seems it was a waste getting the gummies because I would've gotten rid of all 6 already if it wasn't for these poor unwanted little bags of sugary goodness. I'm tempted to sell them discounted by now. Brought a water bladder for trekking too - Camelbak! Yay!

Now organising a Raffle with a food hamper! Brought lots of stuff to help with collection of money and record-keeping. Raffle draw will be held in mid-June just before the trek (eek! cutting it close) at a dinner at, hopefully, Pancakes n Grill in the city! I got promised a voucher from Fremantle IGA - thank you in advance!!

Brought some money tins to fundraise door-to-door. Shopping centres have too many hoops to jump through, something went wonky with my cert (I'm the only one in WA) and the fees/times are disappointing. Trying IGAs - but they take ages to get back to you if they do at all. Shouldn't it be as simple as asking?

Am walking from traino to work tomorrow with my daypack i plan on using, and trekking shoes! Go MDA Trekkers!

One more Muscular Dystrophy type:
Oculopharyngeal MD. Oculopharyngeal means eye and throat. This form of muscular dystrophy appears in men and women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s. It progresses slowly, causing weakness in the eye and face muscles, which may lead to difficulty swallowing. Weakness in pelvic and shoulder muscles may occur later. Choking and recurrent pneumonia may occur.

Fundraising is hard work...

I have been selling Cadbury Fundraiser Chocolates and Gummies and so far, I have about 4 and a half boxes left. It's a lot harder than just that single one everyone does in High school. I do hope to get rid of them soonish!
 
I realize I need to put in a whole lot more of an effort than what I have been doing, because the amount I have raised just isn't going to reach my goal amount, not at this rate. So I'm going to set up a Sausage Sizzle at Willeton Bunnings in June, and probably set up a Trivia Night or a Dinner. Trouble is, I don't know anyone to invite besides my work colleagues (who are just so sweet and wonderful) and my few friends. Hahaha it shows I really need to make an effort to socialize more and keep connections. 

Also, I will need to set up a Thank You Page on this blog for donors and the people who have supported me so far on this fundraising for MD! They have been such amazing help and really generous with their donations I feel they need some recognition.

Another type of Muscular Dystrophy:
Congenital Muscular Dystrophy. Congenital means present at birth. Congenital muscular dystrophies progress slowly and affect both males and females. The two forms that have been identified -- Fukuyama and congenital muscular dystrophy with myosin deficiency - they cause muscle weakness at birth or in the first few months of life, along with severe and early contractures (shortening or shrinking of muscles that causes joint problems). Fukuyama congenital muscular dystrophy causes abnormalities in the brain and often seizures. 
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002172#adam_001190.disease.causes 

Reaching out even more~

A few days ago I submitted a form to my local animal shelter to be a volunteer!

So I now get to help out at the Animal Protection Society by walking dogs, cleaning the kennels, general housekeeping, and trying to pat the cats. I'm such a slaving petting machine for the cats. They seem to know who's boss - glaring at me when I stop petting and giving me violent slash wounds when I pet them for too long. Stupid human!

But I walked my first 2 dogs today, and got my daily exercise. I'm looking at a endurance training regime online, something more specific and includes things like diet and times for various sporting activities (swimming etc..). Also looking at bushwalking, but that's a rather different sort of thing than trekking, isn't it?

Petting kitty at APS

This is another catergory of Muscular Dystrophy:
Myotonic (MMD or Steinert's disease). The most common form of muscular dystrophy in adults, myotonic muscular dystrophy affects both men and women, and it usually appears any time from early childhood to adulthood. In rare cases, it appears in newborns (congenital MMD). The name refers to a symptom, myotonia - prolonged spasm or stiffening of muscles after use. This symptom is usually worse in cold temperatures. The disease causes muscle weakness and also affects the central nervous system, heart, gastrointestinal tract, eyes, and hormone-producing glands. In most cases, daily living isn't restricted for many years. Sufferers have a decreased life expectancy.
 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002172#adam_001190.disease.causes

Trot trot...

I just recently (and finally) signed up for one of those community walk groups created by the Heart Foundation!
I didn't think my exercise regime was tough enough. So when I heard about it from my awesome friend Tessa, who joined a walk at another time and location, I just had to sign up. These walks are led by volunteer organisers and the walks vary in difficulty and duration, which makes it really easy finding one to suit your normal activity levels - even if they're lower than a Crazy Crabs'. Lucky me!

I picked a group that jogs around a lake. Or what used to be a lake. Now it's just a sandy crater with green/brown things sprouting all over and around it. The few other members of the group were such wonderful people. We were from all walks of life and backgrounds, so the conversations we had were varied and full of experience. They were also very fit with a zest for life and the environment... and over 50 years old.

Talk about putting me to shame.

Here's a little view of the path:

More on Muscular Dystophy:
Facioscapulohumeral MD. Facioscapulohumeral refers to the muscles that move the face, shoulder blade, and upper arm bone. This form of muscular dystrophy appears in the teens to early adulthood and affects males and females. It progresses slowly, with short periods of rapid muscle deterioration and weakness. Severity ranges from very mild to completely disabling. Walking, chewing, swallowing, and speaking problems can occur. About 50% of sufferers can walk throughout their lives. Sufferers usually live a normal life span.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002172#adam_001190.disease.causes