For 21-year-old Tanner Pyeatt, the future is uncertain. Diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy at the age of four, he gradually lost the use of his legs and has been wheelchair-bound since age nine.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy causes the muscles to slowly waste away, and there is no cure. And worse, because of the lack of awareness and the small number of people who have it, research towards a cure has been very limited.
So, Tanner’s parents decided to do something about that–they introduced the Toast 2 Tanner Pub Crawl, an annual event held in October.
Immediately embraced by the community in Navarre, Florida, the event seeks to elevate awareness as well as raise funds for Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, which supports medical research.
Tanner is dependent upon his parents for all aspects of his care, but he did graduate from Navarre High School in 2014. Now, he visits the school two days a week and spends times with special needs students.
According to his mom, Tanner has a big heart and a great sense of humor. The students enjoy his visits tremendously.
The pub crawl is a one-day event, but Charlene said her entire family lives with Duchenne muscular dystrophy 365 days a year. Although both she and Tanner’s dad Tim, recognize a cure may be too late for him, they are hopeful that one will be found so that others can be spared from the debilitating condition.
