Romito Family on Fox 31 News ....
FREDERICK, Colo. (June 2016) -- For Father’s Day, a Weld County dad said his one wish would be to find a cure for his children.
Richard Romito and his wife Jamie have four sons. Their oldest is away at college. The younger three, Dominic, 15, Collin, 9, and Kaleb, 7, live at home and have been diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The disease causes muscle degeneration. There is no treatment and no cure for DMD.
“They stop walking between the ages of 8 and 12. They’re on breathing machines in their late teens and their life expectancy right now is late teens to mid-20’s,” Richard Romito said.
Richard and Jamie started a nonprofit called The Romito Foundation to help kids with DMD feel normal. The money raised pays for summer camps, sporting events and other social activities for about 30 Colorado families.
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Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a genetic condition that affects the muscles, leading to muscle wasting that gets worse over time. DMD occurs primarily in males, though in rare cases may affect females. The symptoms of DMD include progressive weakness and loss (atrophy) of skeletal and heart muscles. Early signs of DMD may include delayed ability to sit, stand, or walk and difficulties learning to speak. Muscle weakness is usually noticeable in early childhood. Most children with DMD use a wheelchair by their early teens. Heart and breathing problems also begin in the teen years and lead to serious, life threatening complications. DMD is caused by genetic changes (DNA variants) in the DMD gene. DMD is inherited in an X-linked recessive pattern and may occur in people who do not have a family history of DMD. While there is no known cure for DMD, there are treatments that can help control symptoms.