‘I did it for Lara’

CLONSILLA resident Celine Power, along with 40 friends and family, took part in the VHI Women’s Mini Marathon in June to raise funds for Muscular Dystrophy Ireland’s Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Medical Research Project. 

This project is something extremely close to Celine’s heart as her daughter, Lara, who turned one this month, along with another Dublin girl, Nellie Lannan, both have the condition SMA Muscular Dystrophy.  

The group of ladies who ran together in support of Lara raised an impressive sum of €8,818.22. 

Celine Power, who is a member of Muscular Dystrophy Ireland, said: “I am delighted and very appreciative to everyone who took part and assisted me raise this amount of money. I hope the research will be successful and develop a muscle specific therapy that will help Lara have a better quality of life.” 

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a genetic condition affecting the part of the nervous system that controls voluntary muscle movement. SMA involves the loss of nerve cells called motor neurons in the spinal cord.

The money raised has been allocated to a specific SMA research project by Dr Melissa Bowerman in Oxford University. The aim of this research is to look at the muscle proteins that are abnormally present or absent in SMA and identify how they contribute to muscle dysfunction. 

The ultimate objective is to develop a muscle specific therapy that could be used alongside nerve cell-specific treatments to reduce disease progression.  

Muscular Dystrophy Ireland is a voluntary organisation which provides information and support to people with muscular dystrophy and other neuromuscular conditions through a wide range of support services. 

For further information on Muscular Dystrophy Ireland or if you would like to fundraise/volunteer, contact Amy Bramley on 01-6236414 or email [email protected].