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

Congratulations to the Honeymoon Bay Fire Fighters Association on another record-breaking year of fundraising! This June, the team raised an incredible $6,000 for Canadians living with neuromuscular disorders. Not only is this their largest gift since 2008, but 2026 also marks 40 years of fundraising for Muscular Dystrophy Canada, and we are so grateful to everyone who has helped build this partnership over the years and continues to keep it so strong today. Thank you to all of the volunteers, past and present, who have given so much of their time, not only to serving the Honeymoon Bay community, but to supporting the neuromuscular community as well. Thank you, Honeymoon Bay Fire Fighters, for another amazing event and for all that you’ve given to this cause over the years. Your impact is felt across the country, and we are so grateful for the difference you continue to make. To learn more about how you make a difference, visit muscle.ca/get-involved/fire-…

Muscular Dystrophy Canada is proud to honour @VertexPharma (Canada) Inc. with our 2026 Dr David Green Caring Corporate Partner Award and recognize their continued partnership and support of the neuromuscular community. Progress is a team effort, and we're grateful to have partners who share our commitment to supporting Canadians living with neuromuscular disorders and building a stronger future with our community. Thank you, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, for being a valued partner to Muscular Dystrophy Canada and for helping us #BreakDownBarriers with the Canadian neuromuscular community. We're proud to have you with us.

Another year of #FillingTheBoot with the incredible Colwood Fire Fighters! For decades, this team has continued to show up for the Canadian neuromuscular community, and we are so, so grateful for everything they have built with us over the years. Together, the Colwood Fire Fighters have raised more than $425,000 in support of Canadians living with neuromuscular disorders. This September, they were back out in their community for another annual boot drive, bringing people together and giving everyone another chance to learn, donate and show up for families living with neuromuscular disorders. To every Fire Fighter who gave their time, every volunteer who helped behind the scenes, every person who stopped by the boot and every member of the community who made a donation, thank you! ❤️

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-…

Hot off the presses! The Fall edition of our newsletter is now available. In this edition, you’ll see our work in action, from building a clearer picture of Canada’s neuromuscular community and addressing inequities in access, to creating opportunities for connection and ensuring more people have opportunities to participate and be heard. 🔗 muscle.ca/about-us/news-stor… Want stories like these delivered straight to your inbox? Subscribe to our newsletter and other updates at muscle.ca/subscribe/

What a wonderful weekend in Rossland! Thank you to the Rossland Fire Fighters for hosting another incredible breakfast fundraiser during Golden City Days, and to everyone who came out, grabbed some breakfast, stopped to chat and made a donation in support of Canadians living with neuromuscular disorders. We are so grateful for this team and the dedication they continue to show to our community. Thank you for helping bring more hope to the Canadian neuromuscular community and for always finding ways to show up. ❤️

Muscular Dystrophy Canada is proud to be featured in 2026 Neurological Conditions campaign, published in @macleans and @TheHillTimes In "New Advances Are Improving Care for Canadians with Autoimmune Neuromuscular Conditions," Dr. Hans Katzberg and MDC's Dr. Homira Osman discuss how earlier diagnosis, specialized multidisciplinary care, patient support and innovative treatments can improve outcomes for people living with generalized myasthenia gravis (#gMG) and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (#CIDP). Many people with gMG and CIDP spend months or even years seeking a diagnosis, sometimes seeing multiple specialists or being misdiagnosed before receiving appropriate care. Because both conditions are treatable, earlier recognition matters: timely treatment can help control gMG and prevent irreversible nerve damage from CIDP. New treatment options including the first new therapy approved for CIDP in approximately 30 years are creating hope, but innovation changes lives only when people can access it. In "Approval Without Access: Bridging the Gap from Research to Care," Dr. Hanns Lochmüller and Dr. Homira Osman examine the long and consequential journey between @GovCanHealth approval and public drug-plan coverage. This gap is at the heart of MDC's What About Canada? initiative, which calls for faster, more transparent and more equitable access to life-changing neuromuscular treatments. For progressive conditions such as #Duchenne muscular dystrophy, every month matters. Delayed access can mean irreversible loss of function, greater disability, increased costs for families and added pressure on the healthcare system. Canada must begin planning for access earlier, make timely and transparent reimbursement decisions, and use real-world evidence to manage uncertainty while enabling access and monitoring patient outcomes. Canada cannot lead in research while lagging in access. Approval must lead to timely, meaningful and equitable access. Read the features: Maclean's: issuu.com/mediaplanetca/docs… The Hill Times: issuu.com/mediaplanetca/docs…

September 30 is Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy (LGMD) Awareness Day. LGMD includes many different genetic disorders, which means research needs to tackle many different causes and pathways to develop new treatments and, ultimately, a cure. So, where are we today? Research is moving forward in Canada. Clinical trials are exploring potential treatments for LGMD, while Canadian researchers continue studying causes and new ways to improve treatment and care. Canada now has a growing network of neuromuscular clinical trials, creating more opportunities for eligible Canadians to take part in research. The research is moving. Canada needs to be ready to turn that progress into access for the people who need it. Muscular Dystrophy Canada is advocating for a faster approval pathway for neuromuscular treatments in Canada through our What About Canada? campaign. Add your voice. Sign and share the What About Canada? petition: change.org/p/create-a-fast-t…? #LGMDAwarenessDay