The doctor noticed that his calves were large and his muscles and tendons were tight. After more tests and consultations, he was referred to a muscle team at a local hospital. George was diagnosed with Becker muscular dystrophy following a DNA test, in January 2017.
His parents and older brother Freddie set up the family fund, A Cure for George, to raise awareness and fund research into the condition. Since then, Adam has cycled a stage of the Tour de France this summer with five friends. Cerys and Adam’s brother Freddie, nine, made and sold bookmarks as part of a summer fete stall with other fundraising games and Adam’s employers also donated a Champagne bottle signed by six nations rugby players to the cause. In total the family fund has raised over £16,000 in less than 6 months.
Adam, a project manager, said:
The hard thing about Becker is the uncertainty, because it affects people in different ways. We don’t know how quickly it’s going to progress, and how much it’s going to impact on George.
“At the moment, he’s doing well. He uses a wheelchair to get to school and if we’re doing something involving a lot of walking, but he can still play rugby on a Sunday, just as long as he takes some breaks when he gets tired.”
“It’s so important to raise money for research. It still surprises people when we tell them that there’s no cure for what George has. But between now and when he gets older, there’s lot of time for things to change. The scientists with the brains to do it are there, we just need to make sure they have enough money to fund the research.”