Baltimore Mayor Proclaims July 8 "End Duchenne Day" Celebrating Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy's 17th Annual Connect Conference

Conference Includes Keynote Speaker and Acclaimed Author Seth Mnookin

HACKENSACK, N.J., June 29, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Patricia A. Furlong, Founding President and CEO of Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD), the largest non-profit organization in the United States focused on finding a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (Duchenne), announced that the Mayor of Baltimore, Maryland, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, has proclaimed July 8, 2011, to be "End Duchenne Day" in recognition of PPMD's 17th Annual Connect Conference. Baltimore is playing host to the country's largest Duchenne-specific, international conference, July 7 – 10, 2011.

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Researchers, scientists, and Duchenne experts from around the world travel to the Connect Conference every year to share with families the latest in muscular dystrophy research and care. Duchenne, the most common form of childhood muscular dystrophy, is a progressive and fatal muscle disorder affecting boys and young men that causes the loss of muscle function, wheelchair dependency, and a decline in respiratory and cardiac function.  

This year's Connect Conference welcomes renowned author of The Panic Virus, Seth Mnookin.  The Panic Virus uses a combination of investigative reporting, intellectual and scientific history, and sociological analysis to explore the controversies over vaccines and their rumored connection to developmental disorders.

The Connect Conference will also feature a pre-conference meeting for researchers, medical professionals, and industry on July 6–7.  While PPMD will of course provide expert presentations regarding Duchenne research during the Connect Conference, it also recognized the need for a closed scientific meeting. PPMD is providing this forum for researchers to gather and discuss, in the hopes of uniting the international Duchenne research field, as well as promote collaborations. A report from this meeting will be presented to the attendees of the general Connect Conference.

As Ms. Furlong and the PPMD staff finish preparations for this year's Connect Conference– which includes an exclusive PPMD party at the National Aquarium in Baltimore – she commented on what the Mayor's Proclamation means to the Duchenne community: "Baltimore is a critical ally in our fight to end Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Our friends at The Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine have played pivotal roles in the research and development of potential therapies to stop the progression of this deadly disorder. To have the Mayor and her wonderful city welcome our families to Baltimore with this honor is humbling. But perhaps most importantly, the Mayor is acknowledging the impact Duchenne has had on our children and in turn is raising awareness. To be so warmly embraced by the city and the Mayor starts off our Annual Connect Conference with added enthusiasm. We are so looking forward to the wealth of information we anticipate will be shared at this year's Connect Conference, and in particular we are excited about our keynote speaker, Seth Mnookin, who is sure to give a provocative and compelling address. Progress is being made in the fight to end Duchenne, and it is our honor to continue to bring the key players in the fight, to the Duchenne community through our annual conference."

For more information about PPMD's 2011 Annual Connect Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, from July 7 – July 10, 2011, at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront, please visit the PPMD website or call 1.800.714.5437.

Please visit Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy's what we are funding webpage for more information, or ParentProjectMD.org/Research for complete coverage of our research investments.

About Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy

Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD) is a national not-for-profit organization founded in 1994 by parents of children with Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy.  Our mission is to end Duchenne. We accelerate research, raise our voices in Washington, demand optimal care for all young men, and educate the global community. PPMD is headquartered in Middletown, Ohio, with offices in Fort Lee, New Jersey.  For more information, visit www.parentprojectmd.org.

SOURCE Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy