“Making contact with Action Duchenne provided a lifeline”

“Making contact with Action Duchenne provided a lifeline”: Find out why Ben Dolling decided to run the London Marathon dressed as a parrot!

Harry was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy in 2019

Ben and his wife have 3 children: a daughter in year 3 and a son in his first year of university and Harry, their 8 year old who lives with Duchenne. Harry is currently still walking and full of life. He likes playing with anything he can get his hands on and is really sociable.

When Harry was diagnosed in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy in 2019, Ben and his family were utterly devastated and didn’t know where to turn. Feeling isolated and alone, they struggled to find support and to feel that anyone really understood.

“Making contact with Action Duchenne provided a lifeline. They understood, they were living our experience too and they helped us find hope and positivity. They were there for us when we needed them and have introduced us to the Duchenne community through conferences and activities.”

Helping other families and children through the difficult stages of life with Duchenne

Having experienced the real difference that Action Duchenne made to his family in their darkest time, Ben wants to help keep the charity expanding and help other families and children through the difficult stages of life with Duchenne. Having applied for the London marathon for over a decade, he finally received an email confirming he had a place for 2026 and immediately knew he wanted to use it to fundraise. Thinking that the best way to get more attention was to do it in a costume, Ben decided to dedicate his challenge to Harry’s love of pirates by running dressed as a parrot! In an amazing feat of creativity and engineering, Ben has created his own parrot costume from scratch. Learning to sew using his mum’s sewing machine, he’s now working on a cooling mechanism so he doesn’t overheat inside the felt headdress!

Raising awareness and funds

Ben is doing everything he can to raise as much awareness and money for Action Duchenne. With 37 years since his last marathon AND with the added challenge of running 26.2 miles in a parrot costume, knowing he’s raising money for families just like his own will give him the strength he needs to get round.

“Research to find new treatments and hopefully, one day, a cure for Duchenne is vitally important but finding the understanding and support to help us get through each day is invaluable. I want to raise as much as I can for this great charity who do such fantastic work in supporting individuals and families whose lives have been impacted by Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy”

Support Ben in his epic London Marathon challenge

Can you help us to ensure that we can be there for EVERY family, EVERY time? Find out more about how you can become a Friend of Action Duchenne.