OUR FOUNDER
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Elijah Stacy is 22 years old. Elijah suffers from a genetic muscle wasting disease known as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, which took away his ability to walk at age 11. However, Elijah’s spirit remains unbridled as he is optimistic about the future and has a deep passion for business.
This passion has led Elijah to starting a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization when he was 15 years of age called Destroy Duchenne. Elijah believes “No matter how big or small your suffering is, don’t let it go unused but use it to empower others and to help minimize the suffering that the future generations will face”.
Elijah believes that his purpose in this world is to “minimize human suffering and propel human prosperity” which is evident as he works endlessly everyday to cure his disease.
Along with efforts towards curing his disease, Elijah was the first high school student to be selected as an Intern for the Riverside County District Attorney as he has an interest in bringing justice to those who inflict suffering upon others.
He also enjoys public speaking and he regularly posts inspirational content on his personal social media @elijahjstacy.
Learn more about Elijah here:https://www.elijahjstacy.com
Elijah’s message
I know what it’s like to suffer from Duchenne since I have it. I know what this disease does to family’s since I’ve watched my little brother, Kai, having to grow up with it. I know it breaks the hearts of parents as I watched it devastate my parents as it took away my other little brother’s life. I have seen the pain it caused my Mom and Dad when Max died and I don’t want parents and kids to have to experience the suffering this disease brings anymore. I don’t want my parents to have lose more of their kids. Losing one kid is one too many.
Instead, I want to live in a world where people don’t have to suffer from diseases anymore, but can focus on building an awesome future. I believe we live in a very exciting time to cure diseases like Duchenne thanks, to the incredible discovery of gene editing technology.
I am so confident in gene editing based on the scientific papers and books I’ve read that I am, literally, betting my life on it. Not too many people are in a literal situation where they can bet their life on something, but I am and that is what I am doing. The time is now to create the future we want. We have to work together to change the world. We are the change that we seek.