Two Teens Raise Money for Boy with Rare Disease

STONE HARBOR – Eleven-year-old Gabe Barone was born with the rare disorder Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). The disorder is carried in the X chromosome and thereby is only present in males. It is a progressive, muscular-wasting disease that affects approximately one in 3,500 boys, progressively damaging voluntary and involuntary muscles. There is no cure for DMD, though it can be treated with steroids, to help with inflammation.
Billy Harrison and Will Albrecht are two 17-year-olds who wanted to do something to help Barone.
They decided to raise money for him by purchasing $4,500 worth of Morey’s Piers tickets at $45/each and selling them for Gabe’s cause at $65.
“I spoke about Gabe and what we were doing at St. Paul’s Church (in Stone Harbor),” Harrison said. “We sold all the tickets and a lot of people also donated money after Mass.” Harrison said that one individual gave them a check for $2,000.
When all was said and done, Harrison and Albrecht had a net profit of $4,814 for Barone. A lot of that money will go toward the purchase of a service dog for Barone as well as gift certificates to PetSmart and Ocean View Veterinary Hospital.
Barone’s mother Melissa said they had already been to Canine Companions for Independence in Medford, N.Y. for an initial introduction to the service dogs. “We have to go back up there and train with them,” she said. “That’s when the dog will pick us.”
For information on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, go to www.cureduchenne.org.
To contact Bryon Cahill, email bcahill@cmcherald.com.
Update: According to Jon Bentzinger, Public Relations Northeast Region Canine Companions for Independence, they do not charge for their dogs. “Canine Companions does not charge for their dogs and follow up services,” he stated. “All our services are free.”