The Avengers Big Swim

The AQUA AVENGERS

This June, two NEW super hero's will join the Avengers and help battle the mighty enemy DMD. They will be swimming against the clock for two solid hours in their attempt to rack up as many lengths as they can.

Sam (12) and Millie (12) who both swim for the Maxwell Swimming Club join the list of hero's, supported all the way by Elizabeth and Jayne with the help of Aqua Vale Leisure Centre. Alec's Avengers will aim to swim as many lengths as they can within a two hours on Saturday the 18th June.

Alec (6) is now reliant on his wheel chair is the reason Sam & Millie wanted to help out, they are not just swimmers, they are SUPER Swimmers, Hero's in their own right. Alec himself is having swimming lessons, he wants to learn the basics before he no longer has the strength to do it.

The Cause
On the surface, Alec Syphas is like any other 6 year old: full of imagination, mischief and adventure. Alec loves Superheroes. They play an active role in his imagination, and they are the perfect metaphor for his life. Alec is fighting a big super villain: Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). This degenerative disease challenges him every day, hour and minute. He fights back hard. Some days he succeeds and some days he doesn’t, but he always gives his all in the daily battle to succeed at the simple everyday tasks that come so easily for the rest of us.

Alec was born in Sheffield, UK on the 27th June 2009 to Rachel Hanson (Sheffield) and Roy Syphas (Aylesbury). Being born three weeks premature, he came into the world fighting and grew into a seemingly fit, happy and healthy little boy, but in 2014 he had to start fighting all over again.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Early symptoms of DMD include enlargement of the calf and deltoid muscles, low endurance levels, struggling to ascend stairs and walk or run with confidence. By the tender age of 10 , children suffering with DMD require assistance with walking aids and braces. By 13, most will be reliant on the use of a wheelchair. As DMD spreads through a child’s body, other areas become affected: arms, neck, and breathing difficulties, are a definite occurrence. These combined difficulties eventually lead to paralysis and death.

Steroid treatment will help to extend the length of time Alec will stay on his feet under his own strength, as well as improve the quality of his too-short life. Treatment will also delay the inevitable reliance upon a wheelchair by a year or two. Sadly, there is no treatment available to extend Alec’s life expectancy.

The ultimate aim is to raise awareness for Duchenne and in the process raise a few £'s to improve the quality of Alec's life. Many of the specialist equipment items Alec will require can cost thousands. Our aim is to help Alec stay mobile as long as possible and with the help of things like the Race runner, wheelchairs and ceiling tracks he can do just that.

Thanks for all your support

Alec's Avengers Team