It’s no easy battle, but for Tayjus Surampudi and many others, muscular dystrophy is a battle worth getting up and fighting against.
Tayjus is a student at Harvard. And if that’s not impressive enough, he is battling what doctors call one of the “most severe genetic muscle diseases”—Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).
The disease causes muscle weakness that continues to get progressively worse over the course of a lifetime. Tayjus, who stopped walking at 14, told WCVB he needs help with what many would consider simple tasks, from the second he wakes up in the morning. Right now, he’s doing everything he can to preserve his dexterity so that he’s able to study and use a computer.
But over and over, despite his deteriorating body, Tayjus exhibits perseverance, hope, and strength—partly because dedicated scientists are working tirelessly behind the scenes to find a cure.
One of those scientists is Albert Almada, who’s own brother has DMD. His team is working on therapies that could help correct the affected muscles in those with the disease. Their goal is to continue their research and discover possible therapies so people like Tayjus can continue to thrive, without the debilitating symptoms of muscular dystrophy.
