A friend recommended that I tell a little bit about myself
on this blog as well. Although it doesn’t define every aspect of my life one
thing that makes my art more difficult is the fact that I have Duchenne Muscular
Dystrophy. The following is some information about Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy from
the Muscular Dystrophy Association website:
“What is Duchenne muscular dystrophy?
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a genetic disorder
characterized by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness. It is one of nine
types of muscular dystrophy.
DMD is caused by an absence of dystrophin, a protein that
helps keep muscle cells intact. Symptom onset is in early childhood, usually
between ages 3 and 5. The disease primarily affects boys, but in rare cases it
can affect girls.
What are the symptoms of DMD?
Muscle weakness can begin as early as age 3, first affecting
the muscles of the hips, pelvic area, thighs and shoulders, and later the
skeletal (voluntary) muscles in the arms, legs and trunk. The calves often are
enlarged. By the early teens, the heart and respiratory muscles also are
affected.”
I used to be able to walk and do more things. I now can
wiggle my legs and feet and move my hands a small amount, which allows me to
continue doing my art work. For this reason, I used to paint and use pastels
and other mediums as well as colored pencils. It got too hard to use these
other mediums because they require more movement. Colored pencil is one of my
favorites anyways though. I also use a ventilator with a straw as I can’t take
a deep enough breath on my own. Fortunately, I’ve been able to do a lot great
things in my life. Some of my art work comes from pictures that have been taken
on many fun family vacations. I also was able to attend Pacific Lutheran
University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history and a minor in
Spanish.
