THE mum of a six-year-old boy with a rare muscle-wasting disorder has launched an appeal to help others in her son’s position.

Harry Bowyer, who lives in Westhoughton, was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) in March.

DMD is a genetic disorder that causes muscle weakness and wasting and affects around 2,500 people in the UK.

Harry’s mum Samantha, 41, said the family suffered lots of upset in the months after the diagnosis as they worried about his future.

But charity Muscular Dystrophy UK has given them great support and signposted them to services that they can access for help.

Mum-of-three Samantha said: “The lockdown helped us in a weird way because we could not escape the situation and we knew we had to deal with it and process it quickly.

“Muscular Dystrophy UK has been really helpful for us.

“We have been able to speak to them on the phone about the diagnosis and if I was having a bad day someone was at the end of the phone to listen.

“They has pointed us in the right place for different things.

“The charity is really important, I think without them we would have been lost.

“The research that it does is critical and it is really important that it continues.

“We want to raise awareness of the work and research it does.”

Samantha has set up a GoFundMe page where half of the funds will go to Muscular Dystrophy UK and the other 50 per cent will go towards helping Harry in the future, with equipment for example.

Harry, who lives with his mum, dad Daniel and sisters Lilly, 10, and Evie, one, has just returned to St Saviour CE Primary School in Stoneclough for the new year.

Samantha said: “Harry is sociable and is such a happy little boy who always has a smile on his gorgeous little face.

“He is loving being back at school.

“Harry is very caring, funny, clever and loves cars, dinosaurs and going fishing with his dad.

“Harry started steroid treatment over three months ago and has never complained once about the changes he has had to go though and throughout all of the doctor's appointments and blood tests.”

To visit Samantha’s GoFundMe page go to bit.ly/3k4re67. For more information about the charity visit musculardystrophyuk.org.