Hi everyone!
My brother was diagnosed with BMD when he was 12, he is now 29.  He can walk on his own but can hardly make it up the stairs, and standing from a seated position is becoming more difficult everyday.
He is recently married and we were discussing how his condition might effect him being a parent.  For example, He does fall sometimes and carrying an infant could obviously be a danger to the baby.  He was feeling pretty down, because the thought of not being able to be alone with his own baby was really getting to him.  How would he get the child out of the crib if he/she was crying?  How would he chase a toddler around the house, etc.
is there anyone out there with BMD who has raised or is raising children, or does someone's husband suffer from the disease?  I would love to hear your stories, and advice/comments regarding the topic.
Thanks!!!

Hi

I am 30 years old and have a 2 year old daughter. It's working out just fine! It's amazing how fast children learn and adopt to their environment. We had a special crib with a door on the side so I could sit in my work chair (with wheels) and lift the baby out. The bed was also equiped with a lift so I even could stand beside the bed and change dipers etc. I don't know if these kind of beds are available in your country though but they ought to be anyway. Sure, the babys mother took care of the baby way more than I, but overall it worked out fine. And I asure you that it gets easier with time since you and the child find your own ways to deal with everyday obstacles. My best tool is my work chair, I can get about the house quickly and it has a lift so I can lift my daughter up to the nursing table to change dipers. She is very aware, or should I say finds it very natural to be around me. Remember that since she knows nothing else than, that this is how it works with her daddy, it will never be unnatural or awkward. Questions?

Sincerely

Niclas

I know this reply is late in coming (I haven't been frequenting these forums often enough), but thought I'd throw in my 2 cents in case you or anyone else in the future would find this helpful. :)

My father has BMD and I was born when he was in his late twenties.  He did just fine looking after me (and my brother when he came along) when my mother went to work in the evenings.  I think I developed my maternal instincts a bit early because of him and that wasjust fantastic.  I really enjoyed helping him out to his car, shovelling snow and making sure the walk wasn't slippery, and doing things for him when I was older and he'd progressed further in the diease.  And as the previous poster reported, they've got lots of new equipment out there nowadays to help handicapped parents be independent in caring for their children.  There's absolutely no reason your brother can't have kids.  I'm certainly glad my parents had me despite my dad's disability. :D

I am 43 years old and I have 2 daughters that are 8 and 14. Do not get discouraged to have kids. I never endangered by children because of the disease. I still held them with my arms sitting down. I fed them I changed them I bathed them just like any normal parent. My 14 year daughter helps me when I cannot do something because of beckers. My kids are the reason why I am stilll walking today. They motivate you to get up and force yourself to push on. I am not saying it is easy you will have some struggling times but watching your kids grow up will keep your mind of your troubles. If I didnt have kids today I would of probably went into depression. I hope my comments wiill motivate you to have kids.