Muscular Dystrophy Association, Inc.

Every summer, MDA (Muscular Dystrophy Association) Summer Camp provides children with neuromuscular diseases the chance to gain confidence, learn self-advocacy skills, and live more independently in a supportive and fun environment. However, sending each child to camp can be costly, and many families face financial challenges to make this dream a reality. That’s why we, as high schoolers, are hosting a Cause Raising campaign to make a meaningful impact.

As juniors in highschool who are passionate about helping others and raising awareness, we decided to enroll in a DECA corporate challenge called “Disability is Diversity”. Our campaign is about raising social awareness for people living with muscular dystrophy, ALS, and related neuromuscular diseases. We believe that disabilities aren't something to be feared or separated from, but just another part of who we are as humans. We are working with the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), an organization that works to support people with neuromuscular diseases and other disabilities to help reach our goal. The MDA is dedicated to improving lives by providing care, funding research, and spreading awareness, and they have dedicated their mission to ensure that everyone, regardless of their abilities, has the chance to live their fullest life. Through this campaign, we hope to show that diversity includes all abilities, and everyone deserves success, a chance to show their capability.

This page is created in loving memory of LOUIS EVAN BOYD JR and the BOYD FAMILY. 

It is our hope and goal to help raise money for a charity that has done for the Boyd family, and continues to do so much for families like theirs.  And we wanted to do so in their memory.

Housteel Bar Stock is part of Bill Lokey Company.  And Bill Lokey Company have always been about family.  It is family owned and operated, but more so, the people that work here are treated like and considered part of a family.  We are also a company that is a strong advocate for charitable organizations, especially those organizations with strong connection to our family and their loved ones.

That brings me to the reason for this page, Louis Boyd (and his family) a former employee but still very much a part of our family suffered a great loss recently.  One of his sons, Louis Evan Boyd Jr passed away on 23rd December 2017.   Louis Jr was diagnosed with a form of muscular dystrophy, a condition that has no cure, and in Jr’s case led to him being taken from this world at such a young age.


Words can never describe adequately the depth of sympathy and condolences we share for the entire Boyd family at this incredibly hard time.  We want them to know we love them and are here to support them even more so at this time.



So what is muscular dystrophy?
Personally, I know very little about this, so I thought I would share the description straight from the Wikipedia page:
Muscular dystrophy (MD) is a group of muscle diseases that results in increasing weakening and breakdown of skeletal muscles over time.  The disorders differ in which muscles are primarily affected, the degree of weakness, how fast they worsen, and when symptoms begin.  Many people will eventually become unable to walk.  Some types are also associated with problems in other organs.

There are nine main categories of muscular dystrophy that contain more than thirty specific types.  The most common type is Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) which typically affects males beginning around the age of four.  Other types include Becker muscular dystrophy, facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, and myotonic dystrophy.  They are due to mutations in genes that are involved in making muscle proteins. 
(Please take a look at the full page for more information).


Who is MDA?  What do they do?
MDA stands for Muscular Dystrophy Association.  Just like Bill Lokey Company, MDA puts FAMILY at the heart of everything they do. 

It’s part of their mission statement.
It’s in their actions to help individuals diagnosed with MD to lead a life filled with hope, support and strength, to have the best life they can.
It’s in their support of testing and trials, looking for breakthroughs, looking for treatments and methods to support not only those diagnosed but to support their families.
I encourage everyone to visit their home on the web.

For Families, By Families
Families are at the heart of MDA's mission. A caring and concerned group of families started MDA in 1950, and we continue to relentlessly pursue our promise to free families from the life-threatening effects of muscular dystrophy and muscle-debilitating diseases today. Read more about MDA's journey and the progress we've helped make possible.


Why are we doing this page?
It starts with awareness, because so many times people suffer in silence because it’s “no-ones” business.  But if we have at least a general understanding of what muscular dystrophy is and the amount of support and help that is required and needed, maybe we can help those organizations who help those families. 
A way of supporting people in their time of need.  So many times we say “I’m here if you need me” but if we can support an organization like MDA, when they need support we have in some way “been there” for them.
A way to remind ourselves and others that we should never give up fighting, never stop looking for solutions and hope that one day, we can assist in helping find a cure.

How can We/You help?  What can We/You do? 
We thought what can we do?  For a friend, a member of our family, to be able to support them to show them how much we are thinking of them.  Flowers and cards are great but we wanted to do something else, something extra that would be a lasting impression.  Raising money for an awesome organization that has not only helped the Boyd family, and families like them but to do so in memory of a young man who led life and fought so hard and did so with a smile.  It is in his memory that we are hoping and trying to raise money for MDA.  To be able to leave a lasting legacy in the name of Louis Evan Boyd Jr.

Our goal is to raise as much money as we can, to ask people to share this page with their family and friends, to help spread awareness, and also give a wonderful organization support, no matter the size of the donation, that it comes from your heart and that you consider MDA a part of your family, and ours.


Who gets the money?
If you have never visited a GFM charitable page you may wonder how secure it is, and where the money is sent.  With the GFM page, the money is paid directly to MDA via PayPal Giving Fund service.  We never see the money, it is all for a good cause.


Family is the most important thing, without it we have no support system, no refuge or shelter when times get rough, no-one to have our backs in times of need, no-one to show us love when we are alone.  Let’s spread the word, let’s show all those families dealing with muscular dystrophy they are not alone, lets show the MDA we have their back and they part of our heart and part of OUR FAMILY.