AN AUSTRALIAN professor who came to Herefordshire to help a boy with a rare form of muscular dystrophy got more of a break than he bargained for when taking part in a charity skydive.

Perth resident Steve Wilton has worked to help those with the condition Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and other forms of the disease since the 1990s, and came to visit 10-yearold sufferer Josh Dovey, of Peterchurch.

But after joining county residents for a Father’s Day parachute jump to raise funds for DMD charity Action Duchenne, he landed badly and finished up with a shattered ankle and possibly a broken leg.

Josh’s mum, jump organiser and Action Duchenne advocate Pauline Brace, invited the professor over after meeting him at a conference.

She said: “We have house guests for a little while longer which is lovely for us, but a bit painful for poor Steve.”

The professor travels the world finding ways to improve DMD symptoms – which can leave two babies born weekly in the UK needing a wheelchair by their 20s – and had been due at a conference in London this week until his injuries forced him to rest up.

But before making the jump he told the Hereford Times that, after years of research, genetic patching trials to potentially repair faulty genes in sufferers were now being carried out.

“I don’t believe we can get them out of a wheelchair but I am hoping this will improve quality of life and make breathing easier, for example,” he said.

For Josh and Pauline his work is the biggest hope they have of slowing the progression of DMD meaning both are hoping £10,000 can be raised towards costs.

In all, five people – teacher Melanie Williams, veterinary receptionist Michelle Harris, Credenhill resident Jo Plant, Tracy Comley and Steve – jumped after cloud cover complicated things for three others – Pauline, Amanda Cooke and Chris Emery – who are now due to jump on July 4.

To help with their target, visit justgiving.com/jump4actionduchenne.