MIDDLESEX, ONT. London, Ont.-based Jesse s Journey is granting $1.7 million to four research projects on Duchenne muscular dystrophy. It is the largest annual amount in the organization s 26-year history, and will go toward research into the most common fatal genetic disease diagnosed in childhood. Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a progressive, neuromuscular disorder that affects about one in 5,000 boys in Canada. Jesse s Journey is a partnership of scientists and families who help fund the research that fundamentally reshapes how boys and men live with Duchenne, said Jesse s Journey Executive Director Perry Esler in a statement. We know research is the only way to defeat Duchenne, and we will continue to invest in the most promising science toward prevention, improved treatments, and ultimately a cure.”