Think about what it takes to climb a mountain. Maybe you start out with a little practice on a gym rock wall, all strapped into safety harnesses. Then when you’re ready you head out to the real rocks and loaded up with all kinds of equipment like ropes, carabiners, grappling hooks, belays, special shoes, special gloves and that’s just the basics. Once you’re ready, you stand at the base of your chosen mountain, take a deep breath and begin to climb. For those who have had this kind of outdoor experience that say it’s as thrilling as it gets.
Now, think about a young boy who can’t even climb out of bed without help from his mom or dad. Or other boys who should be out playing baseball or building tree forts but instead are confined to wheelchairs. These boys are trapped inside their own broken bodies with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and they’ll never have a chance to climb, run, or swim unless a cure for this devasting disease can be found and found fast. That’s exactly what CureDuchenne is setting out to do: find a cure by prodding research and firing up the clinical trials of promising new drug therapies.
From their own mission statement: “CureDuchenne brings a different perspective to DMD research. Many research projects are now seeing success in lab animal models. As our expertise has been in business, our goal is to identify research that has the most likelihood of making it to clinical trials and then provide the financial bridge that will take it from the lab and into human trials. We are thrilled that private industry has taken an interest in Duchenne, as they have the model and resources to bring it to market.
Some of our current and potential funding projects could help the entire population of DMD boys. Others projects are mutation specific and may initially serve a smaller segment of DMD boys. We believe that even if we have to save one boy at a time, it is worth it. If developers of insulin had waited until their therapies were as good as they are today, many people would have died unnecessarily. We know future generations of drugs will be better than the first generation. But without first generation drugs and therapies, the evolution to more effective treatments can’t happen.”
The best way to get those treatments where they need to be is with some good ol’ fashioned donations. That’s Climb for a Cure is all about. Take a bunch of expert climbers, have them dedicate a climb to specific boy then get kindhearted folks to sponsor their climb. Virtual and actual types of climbs are happening at peaks all across the country.
For one of the actual climbs, Dirty Jobs camera team Doug Grover and Troy Paff are heading up Mt. Shasta for Alexander Cliff. We all know that Doug and Troy have put their climbing expertise to practice in many Dirty Jobs episodes but this climb is truly unique for them. Along with all their mountain climbing gear, they’re also carrying banners from some of their sponsors to plant at the top of Mt. Shasta. mikeroweWORKS is proud to be a small part of this amazing climb but those who reach the top will probably tell you that’s easy compared to what the boys with DMD and their families have to face every day.
Want to be a part of the climb? That’s easy. Check out Alexander’s Cliffhangers and make a donation. Every little bit really does help. As the Cliffhangers proudly proclaim, “We climb for the boys who can’t.”
First Update:
“Here’s a team photo of us from a couple hours ago. The mountain is behind us, but socked in with clouds. Therefore we have no images of that yet. Still, this is a good start for the team. Tonight we’ll camp at the trailhead, out of cell range. Tomorrow we’ll begin the climb, and depending on cell range we’ll maybe send some photos through. Thanks for the help! ~Troy
Seconde Update: Troy shared this post on his Facebook page:
We’re off the mountain! The trip was a tremendous success despite our falling just short of the summit. After starting from base camp at 230am we reached the 13,000′ headwall of the west face in howling winds and temperatures well below freezing. Paul and Greg were already showing signs of hypothermia and frostbite, and above the ridge we could be assured of five more hours of 40 mph gusts and wind chill in the double negatives. In light of these factors, and encouraged by other climbing teams that were turning around, we decided it was best to save the summit for another trip.
Sunday was a big day: In fifteen hours we climbed 4,000 feet to the headwall, then down 6,500 feet to base camp and finally the trailhead. Today we are definitely wrecked. We’re moving slowly to pick up the pieces and organize for the 11 hour caravan to SoCal.
We are all excited about the generosity and support of our friends, relatives, and associate in so far making the CureDuchenne climb such a success! The donation page will remain active for awhile, so please share this experience with anyone that you think might find Alexander’s Cliffhanger’s exploits worth a look.
Final Update: We’re happy to report Troy and Doug and the rest of Alex’s Cliffhangers made it back safe and sound. Here’s a final word from Troy:
“Our event Alexander’s Cliffhangers has to date raised $12,600+ for CureDuchenne. A SINCERE THANKS to all the friends, family and associates that joined us in this cause. Enjoy the pics!”
Sure, just a little climb up a moutain… Way to go, guys!
I don’t think Mike has ever been this high… at least not his name on a banner!
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