just as horgan and the lins felt they needed to do something to help their family member, so too did john davidson for his son, jesse, who was diagnosed with duchenne in 1986, at the age of six.
“this is one of those things that drops into your life from nowhere,” says davidson. “this was a complete genetic fluke for us, there’s no history in the family. so, of course, it catches you completely off-guard. first you cry, then you wonder what we did wrong, you beat yourself up a bit. and at the time, there was very little research being done, as in borderline nothing.”
the diagnosis didn’t deter young jesse from living a full life, however. he was active in sports, the culinary arts, the school choir, and, in high school, in business and commerce, where he joined junior achievement.
but along the way, his condition worsened, and still there was no useful, definitive research being conducted in canada.
“eventually you say, ok, it is what it is, let’s pick up the pieces and see where we go from here,” says davidson.
where they went from there, in 1995, was on a 3300-km, 124-day trek across ontario, with john pushing jesse, 15, in his wheelchair, to raise awareness and funding for duchenne research. at the end, a foundation was born, called jesse’s journey, to continue the work.