Twin Brothers Fighting To Continue Walking

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — “This disease is relentless,” says Julie Rhoad. If you’ve ever watched Julie Rhoad play basketball with her two twin sons, Brett and Jacob, you would most likely think of a Mom playing a simple game of basketball with her two sons. You would be right, except Brett and Jacob are in the fight of their lives. “Not like normal kids, you can’t run as fast,” says Jacob Rhoad. “It’s different, you have a different life, everything is different,” says Brett Rhoad. At just four years old the twins were diagnosed with Duchenne, a severe form of Muscular Dystrophy. “Slowly weakens your muscles over time,” says Jacob Rhoad The thought of waht the disease will take away from the twins, is hard for Julie Rhoad. “Walking is something that will be lost as well as their bodies will continue to deteriorate even past the point of the loss of the ability to walk,” says Julie Rhoad. Yet, they’re fighting. “Keep going, even if it bothers you alot,” says Brett Rhoad. “It’s something that you have in life and you need to deal with it and get over it,” says Jacob Rhoad. “You have to choose to live life to the fullest and the best you can,” says Julie Rhoad. The family is also getting help from the Columbia-Richland Fire Department through the annual MDA Boot Drive going on this week. “Without these grass root efforts, in our local community, we wouldn’t have a hope,” says Julie Rhoad. Right now, there is no cure for Duchenne, but the Rhoads aren’t ready to give up. “One day they will find a cure,” says Jacob. But for Julie Rhoad, she knows the boys have fears. “They’re concerned about their future, certainly would not choose to not be able to walk,” says Julie Rhoad. Until a cure is found to stop the disease from taking that ability, the boys and their family will continue to fight. In the meantime, Brett Rhoad has an important message for each of you. “So the next time you see a firefighter on the road, give some money to him, you never know which dollar may be the cure,” says Brett. The MDA Boot Drive will continue through Friday, March 30, 2012. Firefighters will be located throughout Columbia at various intersections taking up dontations.