Fire departments across #Quebec, we're looking at you! The Virtual High Rise Challenge is your chance to bring some friendly competition to your station. Get your crew together, create a challenge that works for your team, and see how your department stacks up against others across the province. And here's the fun part: you can challenge another department to take you on. Who are you calling out? Register your crew for $25, set your $150 fundraising goal, and complete your challenge by November 30. Register today: muscle.akaraisin.com/ui/hrc2… Tag a department you'd like to challenge!

October 23 is oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) awareness day. Today, we’re sharing Marie-Pier’s story. At 41, Marie-Pier lives with OPMD, a condition that has affected several generations of her family, including her grandparents, parents, uncle and siblings. “This disease has been part of our family history for generations. Every day, OPMD changes our lives. Simple movements become more difficult, and the challenges grow over time. Beyond the practical challenges, I hold on to hope. Hope that research will continue to advance, that better treatments will become available, and that the future will be brighter for us, for our children, and for generations to come.” For people living with progressive neuromuscular disorders, research brings hope. But that hope needs to translate into access to treatments in Canada. Muscular Dystrophy Canada is calling for a faster pathway to neuromuscular treatments. Sign the What About Canada? petition: change.org/p/create-a-fast-t…? Share it with your community and help us demand better treatment access in Canada. #OPMDAwarenessDay

Fire Fighters are hosting boot drives to raise critical funds and awareness for Muscular Dystrophy Canada. Come, #FillTheBoot in your area, and help our Fire Fighter partners break down barriers for Canadians affected by #NeuromuscularDisorders. Every dollar raised helps us fund critical research, deliver programs and services and influence positive public policy changes. To learn more about how you make a difference, visit muscle.ca/get-involved/fire-…

Some of the biggest changes begin with someone who's willing to speak up. That's exactly what Linda Niksic has done for the neuromuscular community through her dedication to advocacy and creating meaningful change. Linda is the winner of our 2026 Dr. David Green Leadership in Advocacy Award. Thank you, Linda, for helping us break down barriers with the Canadian neuromuscular community. We're proud to have you with us. #DrDavidGreenAwards2026

For people with SMA who have waited years for fair access to treatment, this is a major milestone. Nine years after the first disease-modifying treatment for SMA was approved by Health Canada, a draft recommendation from Canada's Drug Agency's Formulary Management Expert Committee (FMEC) supports public reimbursement of nusinersen and risdiplam for people with genetically confirmed 5q SMA and 2, 3 or 4 SMN2 copies, including adults. That is a major shift and a long-overdue one. For years, many adults and people with 4 SMN2 copies across Canada have been excluded from public access, while people in Quebec have had access under broader eligibility criteria. Families have faced uncertainty and frustration as SMA affects strength, function and independence. Through it all, people with SMA, caregivers, clinicians and advocates have kept pushing for change. This draft recommendation recognizes the unmet need and that maintaining function and slowing decline can be meaningful outcomes for people living with a progressive disease. To everyone who shared their experiences through our patient input submissions; to the clinicians who contributed to the clinical input submission @NMD4Canada and CPNG; to industry partners @biogen and @Roche for continuing to generate evidence and make treatments available; and to the neuromuscular community: thank you. Thank you for partnering with Muscular Dystrophy Canada to carry your perspectives forward. A recommendation is an important step, but its impact will be measured by what happens next. In a progressive condition like SMA, delays can mean irreversible changes in strength, function and independence. Sustained advocacy and evidence grounded in people's real experiences has helped bring this access gap into focus. Today's news is progress worth celebrating. Now provincial and territorial drug plans must act swiftly to turn this recommendation into timely, equitable access across Canada, so treatment is not determined by a person's age, SMN2 copy number or postal code.

A huge thank you to Marathon Fire and Emergency Services for their incredible support of the neuromuscular community! This year, their team raised an amazing $2,495 through their #FillTheBoot efforts for Muscular Dystrophy Canada. Their generosity is a powerful reminder of what can happen when Fire Fighters and their community come together with a shared purpose. We are so grateful for the time, energy, and heart they continue to put behind making a difference for Canadians living with neuromuscular disorders. Thank you, Marathon Fire and Emergency Services, for showing up and helping make an impact!

Stronger communities start with YOU. The Community Connection Fund is more than just funding. It’s a chance to bring people together, spark creativity, and make your local community shine. Have an idea that can bring together your community? Don’t wait! Apply today and get the support you need to make it happen: muscle.ca/get-involved/commu…

Dr Kerri Schellenberg is the winner of our 2026 Dr David Green Outstanding Healthcare Partner Award. As a neuromuscular neurologist at the University of Saskatchewan, Kerri has spent years working alongside the neuromuscular community to improve clinical care and quality of life. Today, she is seeing new therapies make a real difference for people living with neuromuscular disorders. In her conversation with us, Kerri reflects on her connection to Muscular Dystrophy Canada, the importance of improving care, and why the progress we've seen in recent years gives her hope for what comes next. #DrDavidGreenAwards2026

For 30 years, Kenora Fire and Emergency Services have proudly supported Muscular Dystrophy Canada, giving back to help break down barriers for Canadians living with neuromuscular disorders. Since 1996, their generosity and commitment have made a lasting impact, with an incredible $29,000 in lifetime giving to the neuromuscular community. Thank you to the entire Kenora Fire and Emergency Services team and the Kenora community for 30 years of compassion, dedication, and support. Your continued commitment is a true reflection of the difference we can make when we come together. We are incredibly grateful for everything you do, year after year. You can also help make a difference. Visit FillTheBoot.ca to learn more.

Fire Fighters are hosting boot drives to raise critical funds and awareness for Muscular Dystrophy Canada. Come, #FillTheBoot in your area, and help our Fire Fighter partners break down barriers for Canadians affected by #NeuromuscularDisorders. Every dollar raised helps us fund critical research, deliver programs and services and influence positive public policy changes. To learn more about how you make a difference, visit muscle.ca/get-involved/fire-…

For families affected by neuromuscular disorders, accessibility goes beyond ramps and accessible spaces. It also means having access to essential equipment that helps keep loved ones safe. A recent news story from Alberta shares one mother's efforts to secure a specialized car seat for her son, who lives with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The story features our CEO, Stacey Lintern, and highlights the challenges families can face when trying to access the equipment they need. Through Muscular Dystrophy Canada's equipment program - muscle.ca/support-services/h…, we helped fund the specialized car seat for this family. It's one example of how donor support can make a meaningful difference in people's everyday lives. To our community, Fire Fighters and supporters: your continued commitment helps make this support possible. Together, we are #BreakingDownBarriers and working towards a future where Canadians affected by neuromuscular disorders can access the equipment and resources they need. youtu.be/GTebqXO5fF8

Have you ever left a clinic appointment and realized there was something you forgot to ask or wished you had asked? Finding another opportunity to ask that question may not be easy. That is why Muscular Dystrophy Canada is inviting you to share the questions that matter to you. Your question might be about equipment, exercise, diet, accessing care and supports, treatments, research, clinical trials, or navigating everyday life with a neuromuscular disorder. What did you forget to ask, or wish you had asked? Submit your question here: form.jotform.com/MDCanada/Qu…

The holiday season is about to get a little sweeter. Gingerbread for Hope is back on December 13, bringing families and the community together for an afternoon of holiday fun while raising funds to help break down barriers with Canadians affected by neuromuscular disorders. 📅 December 13, 2026 🕔 1:00 PM–5:00 PM 📍St. Joseph’s Banquet & Conference Centre, Oakville, ON Come enjoy an incredible gingerbread showcase by Paul Douglas, one of Canada’s leading gingerbread artists, along with face painting, a colouring station, gingerbread decorating, hot chocolate, festive food and beverages, raffles, prizes, a silent auction and a special visit from Santa. And this year, your generosity can go even further! The Longo Family Foundation has joined us as a Matching Partner, so all donations made to Gingerbread for Hope by December 31, 2026, will be matched by the Foundation, up to a maximum of $50,000! Learn more and support Gingerbread for Hope: GingerbreadforHope.ca

The Sioux Lookout Fire Fighters have reached an incredible milestone — raising more than $100,000 in lifetime support for Muscular Dystrophy Canada! Since 1991, the Sioux Lookout Fire Fighters have proudly stood alongside the neuromuscular community, showing year after year that their commitment goes far beyond a single fundraiser. This year, they raised their highest amount to date, helping them reach and surpass the incredible $100,000 mark! This milestone is a true testament to the dedication, generosity, and heart of the Sioux Lookout Fire Fighters and the entire community. For more than three decades, they have continued to show up, raise awareness, and help break down barriers for Canadians living with neuromuscular disorders. To the Sioux Lookout Fire Fighters and community — thank you for an incredible 35 years of partnership and for reaching this amazing milestone! We are so grateful for everything you do and the lasting impact you continue to make. Want to make a difference too? Visit FillTheBoot.ca to learn more.

Deadline Notice! Tomorrow is the last day to submit Post-doctoral Neuromuscular Research and Applications. Submit yours now: muscle.ca/research/research-…

Thank you, Sahtlam Fire Fighters, for another incredible year of fundraising! This September, the team raised $2,487 during their annual Boots-Up to Battle Muscular Dystrophy fundraiser, bringing their total to more than $111,000 raised over 28 years. The Sahtlam Fire Fighters fundraise in honour of Kenny Taylor, the adopted son of one of the department’s founders, who lost his battle with a neuromuscular disorder in February 1974 at just 15 years old. More than 50 years later, Kenny’s story is still being carried forward by the people who knew him and the Fire Fighters who continue to fundraise in his memory. Thank you to everyone who showed up, donated and volunteered their time to keep Kenny’s memory alive and to continue making sure families living with neuromuscular disorders know they are not alone.

The future of neuromuscular care is being shaped today. Meet one of the people helping lead that future. Dr Emanuela Pannia is the winner of our 2026 Dr. David Green Rising Clinician/Researcher Award. In this video, she reflects on receiving the award, what inspires her work, and why she's optimistic about what's ahead for the neuromuscular community. #DrDavidGreenAwards2026

This long weekend, Fire Fighters are hosting boot drives to raise critical funds and awareness for Muscular Dystrophy Canada. Come #FillTheBoot in your area, and help our Fire Fighter partners make a difference for Canadians affected by #NeuromuscularDisorders. Every dollar raised helps us fund critical research, deliver programs and services and influence positive public policy changes. To learn more about how you make a difference, visit filltheboot.ca

October 4 to 10 is Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) awareness week. Today, we're sharing Michael's perspective on living with a progressive neuromuscular disorder, like BMD, and why access to treatment matters. "Living with #BeckerMuscularDystrophy has taught me that time is something you never take for granted. I try to focus on what I can do, not what I might lose. But there is always a question in the back of my mind: Will I still be able to do these things a year from now? Five years from now? When I hear about new treatments and research breakthroughs, I feel hopeful. But it's heartbreaking to know that even when a treatment exists, it doesn't necessarily mean people in Canada can receive it." Michael's experience highlights why treatment access cannot wait. Research is advancing, but Canadians need a faster pathway to benefit from medical progress. Muscular Dystrophy Canada is calling for change through What About Canada? More than 5,800 people have joined the call. Add your voice. Sign the petition and help us #BreakDownBarriers to access to treatments for Canadians with neuromuscular disorders. change.org/p/create-a-fast-t…? #BMDAwarenessWeek #BMD