Kindness Over Muscular Dystrophy Grants $20,000 to the Akari Foundation

Rather than exchanging gifts, the large extended Curran family has a tradition of giving to those in need at Christmas. For more than 25 years, the family has donated to many causes including Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, AIDS, addiction recovery, cancer, special needs children, hospice, Smile Train, Make a Wish, and Catholic Charities.
 
Kindness Over Muscular Dystrophy announces a Christmas Grant of $20,000 to the Akari Foundation, a 501(3)(c) charity, through the generosity of the 2022 Curran Family Christmas Charity Giving.
 
Over 25 years ago, Lori Curran, approached the family with an idea to give to those in need instead of exchanging presents and this tradition has become a cherished part of the Curran Christmas celebration. Each of Bernie and Peggy Curran’s eight children, along with the next generation, have taken turns deciding on a deserving charity to donate to and presents the needs of the chosen charity to the gathered Curran Christmas crowd. Hearts are touched and the Currans generously respond to the enormous needs of the human family.
 
In the past, the Currans have given directly to those in need along with donating to various charities including, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy charities, Aids Charities, Addiction Recovery Charities, Hospice Charities, Cancer charities, Handicapped children charities, Smile Train, Make a Wish and Catholic Charities.  
 
And this year, the Jim Curran family, including Nicole Curran, a High School Spanish teacher, wanted to find a way to help the underserved Hispanic immigrant community dealing with the overwhelming medical needs associated with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Nicole’s nephew, Conner Curran, suffers from Duchenne so she knew firsthand what a struggle families go through to get the help their child needs. It struck Nicole, that it must be extremely difficult for low-income Hispanic families to have to navigate through the complex medical maze with communication hurdles.
 
Through Kindness Over Muscular Dystrophy, the Akari Foundation was chosen as a deserving recipient of the Curran Christmas Gift. The Akari Foundation’s mission is to inform, empower and support the Hispanic immigrant community by providing educational resources on rare diseases, specializing in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. 
 
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is a progressive muscle wasting disease that primarily affects boys. Overtime Duchenne ravages the patients’ muscles, leaving them with very limited function – walking is the first to go – necessitating a wheelchair – transferring from bed to the wheelchair necessitates a Hoyer lift - turning over in bed becomes impossible necessitating a hospital bed to improve patient positioning – coughing becomes difficult – necessitating a cough assist machine. And the lists go on and on as the disease progresses. The needs are enormous, and the expense of medical equipment is very high. The Akari foundation identified numerous families in need of specialized medical equipment necessary for the quality of life of their loved ones.
 
The Curran family will be helping many of the families Akari has identified including one particular family, struggling to make ends meet. The family is forced to leave their young adult son home in bed all day because they cannot afford an electric wheelchair to give him the independence he needs. He lies in bed all day, not being able to move and waits patiently for his family to come back to assist him. It is difficult to imagine how lonely and isolated this young man must be. It is a heartbreaking scene that the Curran’s wanted to change - empowering this young man to navigate independently in an electric wheelchair will make a world of difference in his life and that of his family. 
Kindness Over Muscular Dystrophy is proud to collaborate with the Curran family to facilitate a grant to the Akari Foundation to improve the lives of the underserved immigrant Hispanic community suffering from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. 
 
Kindness Over Muscular Dystrophy is a 501(3)(c) charity dedicated to finding a cure for Duchenne, advocating for, and providing benevolent assistance to those DMD patients in need.
 
For more information please visit: www.KindnessOverMD.org and www.theAkariFoundation.org
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

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Submitted by Ridgefield, CT

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