Halfaker & Associates

News

October 2007

Brendan Mullen, Halfaker and Associates' Chief Operating Officer, Organizes Team John John Boom to Help Fight Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

John Morrison

For those that do not know---please let me introduce to you little John Morrison. Little John is the spunky 4 year old son of my former Commander in Iraq, Scott Morrison.

On September 11, 2006 during a routine pediatric doctor's appointment at Walter Reed Army Medical Center little John was diagnosed with a debilitative and 100% fatal disease called Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).

Last winter, I sat down with Scott while he was working at the Pentagon and asked how I could help. As Scott always allowed in Iraq, he, again, gave me the green light to run with some of my creative ideas….but little did he know how much running would be involved.

Almost 5 months later, and with the help of several member’s of our deployed unit, friends, colleagues, family, and fellow West Point grads—we started Team John John Boom, which now boasts 55 team members from Washington DC, Chicago, Santa Clara, Arizona, South Carolina, and Virginia. Each team member has dedicated their body in running the 2007 Marine Corps Marathon in honor of Little John to raise awareness, money, and to educate people about DMD through the Federation to Eradicate Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (FED).
           
The FED is a 501 (c)(3)  nonprofit organization that was founded in 2002 for the purpose of finding treatments, and ultimately a cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. FED raises critical research funds that are “mainlined” directly to the world's only clinical trials network for DMD that works collaboratively with scientists all over the world on aggressive cutting edge therapies for DMD.

What is Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy?

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most common form of muscular dystrophy in children. DMD is usually diagnosed when a child is 3 to 6 years of age. Early signs include delay in walking, frequent falling, and difficulty getting up from a sitting or lying position. Muscle deterioration continues to progress and, around the time they are 12 years of age, children with DMD become unable to walk. 

We are in a race against time, but this fatal disease is remarkably close to being cured.  TIME and MONEY are the only barriers.  We cannot do it alone.

Brendan Mullen with John Morrison

Foundation to Eradicate Duchenne, Inc.

To Donate:
1.) Go to http://www.duchennemd.org/mcm/faq.htm
2.) Support a Runner
3.) Click Brendan Mullen
4.) Click Donate