Dinking for Duchenne Pickleball Tournament in Durham: A Raleigh family is taking a significant step to raise awareness and support for their 8-year-old son, Nathan Foster, who has been diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. The Fosters are hosting a pickleball tournament to fundraise and spread awareness about the rare and incurable genetic disorder.
Five years ago, Nathan’s parents, Brad and Misty Foster, received the heart-wrenching news.
“Your worst nightmare. You have a kid, and you expect that they’re going to be healthy.” – (Misty Foster)
The diagnosis of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a progressive and terminal condition that causes muscle degeneration, has profoundly impacted the family.
“As a parent, you grieve the life that you kind of thought your child would have. There are a lot of advances coming out right now with Duchenne. And there are new treatments available.” – (Misty Foster)
Supporting Research and Awareness
Nathan has participated in two clinical trials, and the Fosters are fortunate to have access to top medical facilities in their area. Their aim now is to further research into Duchenne and increase public understanding of the disorder.
“There’s still people today – even part of our circle – that we mention Duchenne and they’re like, ‘What is that?’” – (Brad Foster)
Dinking for Duchenne Tournament
To address this lack of awareness, the Fosters have organized the “Dinking for Duchenne” pickleball tournament in Durham, scheduled for September 21 and 22 at Piney Wood Park. The event initiated a couple of years ago, supports the non-profit Cure Duchenne and Nathan’s medical expenses. However, the primary goal is to raise awareness about Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
“If we can share with the 150 or 200 people that play, and then they each go tell a friend that they played in this tournament and this is what Duchenne is, we’ve created more awareness for it.” – (Brad Foster)
Community Support
The Fosters are grateful for the community’s support and the eagerness of participants to learn more about Duchenne and Nathan’s journey.
“It means the world to us. There are people who have been with us since the beginning, and their support has not wavered; there are people we’ve just recently met and they’re like ‘What can I do? How can I help?’” – (Brad Foster)
They hope this support will drive donations to organizations like Cure Duchenne, helping to advance research and potentially alleviate the impact of Duchenne in the future.
“At this point, we’re more hopeful than we are sad.” – (Misty Foster)
News in Brief: Dinking for Duchenne Pickleball Tournament in Durham
A Raleigh family is hosting a pickleball tournament to support their 8-year-old son, Nathan Foster, who has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a rare genetic disorder. The event, named “Dinking for Duchenne,” will take place on September 21-22 at Piney Wood Park in Durham.
It aims to raise funds for the non-profit Cure Duchenne and Nathan’s medical expenses while increasing awareness about the condition. “Our goal is to share Duchenne’s story with participants and expand awareness,” said Brad Foster. Despite the challenges, the Fosters remain hopeful, emphasizing the importance of community support and ongoing research.
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