Show off Your Best Moves for a Great Cause

One South Dakota family has been battling a devastating disease for more than 35 years, and now you can help in the fight.

In anticipation of the first-ever Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy Awareness Day, September 30, you can show your support for the Dare To Bust A Move fund raiser, by making a short video highlighting your best move, then dare someone else to show off their moves, and ask others to make a donation to the cause. Videos can be posted on the Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy community website.

According to the Muscular Dystrophy Association website:

Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) isn’t really one disease. It’s a group of disorders affecting voluntary muscles, mainly those around the hips and shoulders. The shoulder girdle is the bony structure that surrounds the shoulder area, and the pelvic girdle is the bony structure surrounding the hips. Collectively, these are called the limb girdles, and it is the muscles connected to the limb girdles that are the most affected in LGMD.

While the Awareness Day is new, the Decker family of South Dakota knows about LGMD all too well. Five members of the family, including Donavon Decker and his sisters, June Burney and Monica German, have all been on the front lines in the battle with the disease for years. In 1999, Donavon was the first person to undergo gene therapy for LGMD. In March of this year, June underwent vascular delivery gene therapy for LGMD. Monica, the 2003 South Dakota Ms. Wheelchair, lost her battle with LGMD in 2012.

I've been blessed to know the Deckers for more than 20 years and have been constantly amazed at the lengths they are willing to go to in the fight against this disease. Their bravery and perseverance are the stuff heroes are made of. Please do your part to help.