Adam MacDonald was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy in 1990. Almost immediately, he began to help others. He loved being able to help, and those who knew him enjoyed his energy and generosity as he attended numerous events representing the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) and other organizations that fund research and support families affected by these diseases.
Unfortunately, Adam passed away from complications of his Duchenne muscular dystrophy on April 25, 2021, but that doesn’t mean he lost the fight. His mother, Cheryl Morris, ordered a cardboard standee of Adam to take with her to fundraising events, and this helps him continue to make a difference and provide comfort to his mother.
We are in awe of the dedication of Adam and Cheryl, and in recognition of their efforts, we are going to help further their cause. Use code CURE10 and receive 10% off all of our products – cardboard standees, BigHeads, wall decals, and wall murals! In addition, we’ll donate 10% of the product order value to the Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD).
A Passionate Advocate for the Cause
When Adam was diagnosed with Duchenne, he was living with his family at Myrtle Beach AFB in South Carolina. He was named a State Poster Child in South Carolina. Adam and Cheryl not only attended events to raise money for MDA, they began organizing events themselves, knowing how great the need was.
In 1991, Adam and his family moved back to Maine to be near family. At this time, Adam’s father left, so it became just Adam and his mother living together. However, they threw themselves into the fundraising effort. Adam was again named a State Poster Child, for Maine this time, so he and his mother continued attending and organizing fundraising events.
As he got older, Adam became a Goodwill Ambassador, a role he fulfilled until he passed away.
His favorite events were the Fill the Boot drives, where he would collect money alongside firefighters, taking his place with other heroes. He had a boot from the Bangor Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 772, and he would hold it proudly. Although it was a 2 ½ hour drive from their hometown of Presque Isle to Bangor for these events, Adam and Cheryl were a regular and welcome presence.
Adam also enjoyed collecting school supplies for children with muscular dystrophy at the regular Stuff the Bus events. In addition, he served as a volunteer at the Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon. For 25 years, he answered phones, did interviews, and performed other activities to help the fundraiser until it ended.
Over the course of their advocacy, Adam and Cheryl raised more than $100,000 for the charities they supported.
Adam Keeps Up the Fight as a Cardboard Standee
When Adam passed in April, his mother Cheryl grieved not just that she had lost her son, but that the Duchenne community had lost such a dedicated and effective ambassador. She came up with the idea of ordering a cardboard standee of Adam to help continue fundraising.
She was happy when she received the standee–it looked so lifelike that it gave her comfort. Not only that, but it helped many of Adam’s friends. Everyone loved the standee, she said, except Adam’s dog. She says that the dog might think it was Adam’s ghost!
Recently, Cheryl took Adam’s standee to a fundraising event and was able to raise over $1600 for the MDA. It is a great comfort to her that Adam’s work goes on, even though he is no longer with us.
About Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is one of more than a dozen recognized types of muscular dystrophy. It is a genetic disorder that leads to progressive muscle degeneration and weakness.
Although the condition gets its name from the French neurologist Guillame Duchenne who first described it in 1860, little was known about it until the mid 1980s. At this time, research funded in part by the MDA discovered that the muscle degeneration was due to an alteration of an important protein in muscles, which they named dystrophin because of its role in muscular dystrophy.
The disease impacts about 6 in every 100,000 children. It can begin as early as age 2 or 3, and it mostly affects boys.
About Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy
PPMD fights to end Duchenne. They do this by contributing to research and guiding policy to encourage more research into the prevention and treatment of Duchenne. They also want to achieve optimal care for every single family by improving access to approved therapies. The goal is not only to see the end of Duchenne, but to make sure that no-one gets left behind in the process.
By raising more than $50 million for Duchenne research and steering more than 10 times that much from other sources, PPMD has played a vital role in every single victory against Duchenne since 1994.
How You Can Help
When we at Cardboard Cutout Standees heard Adam’s story, we were inspired. We are used to our life-size cardboard standees making a difference in people’s lives on a personal level–they can serve as a comforting stand-in for absent loved ones. But it’s something else when a standee can make an impact in a cause like this. We knew we had to do something to help expand the impact, so that’s why we came up with this promotional idea.
With promo code CURE10 you can not only save 10% off your order, but we’ll donate 10% of the order cost to PPMD. Save money and donate to a good cause at the same time–you can’t go wrong!
Whether you’re looking to memorialize a loved one, have a stand-in for loved ones you can’t see
In these days of restricted travel, or just looking for a fun and exciting addition to any themed party, you can get the perfect standee at Cardboard Cutout Standees!
