A local mother of two, Patricia Perlman Dee, is holding the North West’s largest ever Zumbathon event to raise money for spinal muscular atrophy, after her son David was diagnosed with the degenerative disease earlier this year. The event will take place on Sunday 8 January from 2pm until 5pm at the HMV Ritz in Manchester city centre.

 

David, who has recently turned one, was diagnosed with the disease in July and is unable to sit or crawl unaided. SMA is a degenerative disease and is a leading genetic killer of infants and toddlers, with 50 per cent of the most severely diagnosed cases resulting in death by the age of two. Sadly, doctors have advised that David will never be able to walk.

 

However, there is some hope, as SMA clinical trials continue to make significant advances and a new drug is currently being tested in human trials. The SMA Trust is a charity dedicated to finding a cure for the disease and is raising money for the tests, as the trials are expensive and funds are low.  That’s where Patricia and the newly launched ‘Team David’ come in. Team David is a charitable endeavour established by Patricia and her husband Jonathan that fundraises for The SMA Trust.

 

Thirty-four-year-old Patricia, who is a vice president at Barclays Wealth in Manchester, is determined to raise as much money as possible to help combat the disease, in the hope that scientists can find a cure. So far, Team David has raised over £5,000 through several events and creative challenges.

 

Patricia says: “It was heartbreaking when my gorgeous little David was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy and we discovered that there was no cure.

 

“As soon as I found out that clinical trials were starting for a new drug that could make a big difference, I knew I had to do something. With the help of the enthusiastic members of Team David and as much support as we can get, we can make a difference – not just for David, but for other sufferers of this disease.”

 

Patricia – who lives in Altrincham with her husband Jonathan and David’s older sister Juliette – previously worked as an aerobics instructor in Sweden, Spain and France. She qualified as a Zumba instructor in April earlier this year, and is confident that this will be fantastic way to raise money. She says: “We’re really hoping people of all ages will want to get involved in the North West’s largest Zumba event. It will be a great way to spend the afternoon and to raise some much needed funds for this wonderful cause.”

 

Jo Gordon, a leading Zumba instructor, will be co-hosting the event and frequently uses her Zumba skills to raise money for charity. She says: “I’ve been involved in charity Zumba events in the past and the response has always been fantastic – we’re really hoping for a huge turnout for Team David’s Zumbathon. We’re looking for around 600 eager participants to take part in what will be the North West’s largest ever event of its kind.”

 

The Zumbathon will be hosted by Zumba Cheshire alongside eight other top Zumba instructors. Helping to get Zumba-goers into the mood will be live music from a Samba drummer. 

 

Tickets start at £13 and can be purchased from the Team David website: http://www.teamdavid.co.uk/zumbathon.html or they can be purchased them on the day for £15.

 

 For those who don’t wish to shake their stuff on the dance floor but would like to help, donations can be made to Team David at

http://www.justgiving.com/teams/David-Dee

 

 For more information, visit www.teamdavid.co.uk.