Extraordinary People: The Boy Who Can Never Grow Old - Channel 5 - 8 October 9-10pm |
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05-Oct-2007 - [College] This intimate documentary is part of Channel 5's Extraordinary People series and charts the extraordinary courage of 19 year-old Treloar College student Stuart Wickison who has the condition, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
Each year in the United Kingdom around 100 boys are born with the genetic condition, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). With no cure currently available, life expectancy for boys with DMD is around 20 years. Despite his condition, Stuart’s determination to live as a normal teenager has never been stronger. He’s leaving the comforts of Treloar College for young people with severe disabilities to study art at university. This is a huge step for Stuart, at Treloar’s he has 24-hour medical support, physiotherapy and lives in an environment where people are accustomed to his needs. Now many of the services he takes for granted he will have to organise himself. Treloar College doesn’t believe in wrapping up its students in cotton wool and hiding them from the world. Students are encouraged to live life as normal teenagers; they go clubbing, pubbing and have sexual relationships. However sex isn’t easy when you can’t move your body and need carers to assist you. The documentary follows the DMD teenagers as they go to London to lobby parliament for more research funding, as a cure is imminent. Professor Dominic Wells one of the world’s leading scientists in gene transfer therapy has been able to heal muscles damaged by DMD in mice. The boys are campaigning for money to fund human trials, even though it’s unlikely that a cure will be available in their lifetime. This is especially hard for their parents, a race against time that they’re not winning. For Stuart’s mum and dad the move to art college is particularly stressful. They’ve cared for him all his life, they’ve known that he’s going to die since he was a three-year old. Now at a time when so many questions are being asked about his health, they have to let him go. For Stuart it’s the only option, as his desire to live, even though he is facing death, has never been greater. This uplifting intimate film follows Stuart on a remarkable journey, as he pushes himself beyond his limits, overcoming obstacles to achieve his dreams. Read "YOUNG PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES DENIED CHANCE TO BECOME 'PROPER TEENAGERS'" press release.
Media enquiries During office hours: 01420 526459 Vanessa Casey or 01420 526421 Kate Walker Other websites For more information about DMD visit: http://www.muscular-dystrophy.org/ Click on the following link for further details on the Race Against Time campaign www.ppuk.org The Race Against Time campaign is a coalition of three Charities: Parent Project UK (PPUK), Muscular Dystrophy Campaign (MDC), Duchenne Family Support Group (DFSG) and the Party Parliamentary Group of MP’s – APPG Muscular Dystrophy, which are campaigning for further funding for research to find a cure or treatment for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
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