IT takes bravery and courage to take a private fight public.
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Nundle man Drew Schofield is fighting a cruel battle with the degenerative disease, Muscular Dystrophy (MD).
While the 37-year-old may still be able to walk with the aid of a stick, there will soon come a time when he’ll be wheelchair-bound.
Instead of sitting back and accepting the inevitable, Mr Schofield is doing all he can to fight MD and help others facing it by sharing his journey.
It was four or five months ago when Mr Schofield had just been discharged from hospital after breaking a bone in his back that he decided to launch the #StandUpDrew campaign.
He is asking the community to help raise $30,000, via GoFundMe, so he can participate in a 21-day stem cell program.
Australia doesn’t offer any such programs, so he needs the money to travel overseas for treatment.
He’ll be a self-described guinea pig for future treatment.
The program, if successful. has the potential to help more than 20,000 Australians and many more worldwide living with MD.
Not only is Drew doing it because he’s got nothing to lose – “ I can either sit in a corner and know what my outcome is sitting in a wheelchair or I can try this” – but he is hoping to help others with MD by documenting his story.
Mr Schofield plans to lay bare his journey – the successes and the failures – to raise awareness of the disease.
MD affects about one in 1000 Australians.
It is a genetic condition that progressively weakens muscles, including the heart and lungs.
It means, sadly, a life taken too soon.
Drew, a keen sportsmen whose simple goal is to go for a run with his mates, must be applauded for his bravery and resilience in sharing his story as he fights to help others.
Over the years, our local community has proved its generosity and support for those whose lives are thrown upside down by reasons out of our control.
Let’s continue helping those in our own backyard.
The simple task of walking might come easy to you. So take a small step in helping Drew on his hell of a journey by digging deep and donating to his cause.
Visit www.gofundme.com/stand-up-drew-stem-cell-trial for more.