Ride For Doug - Stair lift Project

Over the first 9 years of Ride For Doug, you have helped to raise over $150,000 for Muscular Dystrophy Canada. This money has supported research, and funded equipment for Muscular Dystrophy patients. Thank you.

This year (2016)  we have a special project. Doug (of Ride For Doug fame) needs a stair lift so that he can continue to move from floor to floor within his own home. He is still walking, but stairs are proving to be a barrier to getting up and down. A stair lift will move Doug from floor to floor, giving him back his independence. A wise man once told me - "If you remove the barrier to access, you remove the disability  for that time and place".  Help us remove Doug's Muscular Dystrophy - at least on the stairs.

Stair lifts are not cheap. We are still waiting for the final numbers on the estimate, but initial figures are indicating a $20,000 price tag. Yes, there are programs available to assist in funding. Once the quote is in place we will be agressively pursuing them. Unfortunately, the amounts available will fall far short. We expect to be able to access between $6,000 and $10,000 of funding support. This leaves us short by over $10,000.  Our goal is to get our quotes, estimates, and apply for funding over the summer and target installation in the fall.

I'm not the kind of guy who finds it easy to ask for help. We bikers are an independent lot. I've lost a lot of sleep over whether or not to put this plea out. But kids are important, and if the occasional dad needs to swallow his pride and ego, so be it. Can you please help us with the stair lift costs? 

(You can either donate here, or save the 7% in processing fees by bringing your donations directly to the ride. Please note that these donations are not tax deductable. If you are looking for a tax deductable donation, please go to www.RideForDoug.com/donate-now and select the Donate to MDC option.)

Background:

Doug is a 13 year old boy with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. He has been fighting this neuromuscular disorder his whole life. DMD is a progressive disorder that steals first the mobility, and then the life of its patients. At 13, Doug is beating the curve - and is still walking. He has been on a clinical trial of a promising new drug for the last 4 years. We are hoping this medication will slow the loss of strength - at least until a cure can be found. Unfortunately, it has not managed approval yet. At this point - there are no approved medical treatments that can halt DMD.

Ride For Doug (www.RideForDoug.com) is an annual charity motorcycle ride started in 2007 to raise money for Muscular Dystrophy. Over the first 9 years it has raised $150,000 for Muscular Dystrophy Canada.

Please see www.RideForDoug.com for more information on Doug, his family, and the Ride For Doug event.