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Staten Island native literally fighting for Duchenne muscular dystrophy in a boxing ring
Updated 6:06 PM;
Today 4:05 PM
Jim Raffone and his son, James Anthony, 11, who is battling Duchenne muscular dystrophy. (Courtesy JAR of Hope)
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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Former Staten Islander Jim Raffone, Founder/CEO of JAR Of Hope, has been fighting for years to save children with a fatal disease called Duchenne muscular dystrophy. But on June 12, he’ll be fighting to save them in a totally different way – in a boxing ring. At the age of 50.
Duchenne is an extremely rare (one in every 3,500 live births), muscle-wasting disease for which there’s no cure. By the early-teens, these kids (mostly boys) are in wheelchairs. By the late-teens, they’re breathing on ventilators. Average life expectancy is mid-20s for people with Duchenne.