A young disabled footballer from Watford is calling on residents to make the extra day count this leap year and raise funds to fight genetic muscle-wasting conditions.

Stevie Pearson, 19, who recently returned from Paris with a silver medal after competing with England's powerchair football team at the World Championships, has Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Duchenne is a life-shortening genetic condition which causes muscles to waste away over time, causing an increasing level of disability and eventually affecting the heart and respiratory system.

He is asking local people to back national charity the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, which is organising a host of fundraising events February 29, to raise money for research into treatments and cures for Duchenne muscular dystrophy and other neuromuscular conditions.

For the most hair-raising challenge, the charity is looking for 100 recruits to make a 10,000ft sky-dive in recognition of the 100 children born in the UK each year with Duchenne. Aspiring dare-devils wishing to take part will be asked to raise £400 sponsorship for their efforts, and can choose from a variety of sky-dive sites.

Hertfordshire employers are also being asked to dig deep, and raffle off a day’s annual leave among staff, who will donate £5 to the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign for a chance to win.

Stevie, who attends West Herts College, said: “Boys born with Duchenne muscular dystrophy are usually unable to walk by the age of 12 and their condition becomes life-threatening by the late-teens as the muscles around the chest and heart begin to waste away.

“Living with muscular dystrophy brings difficult challenges every day, but I try not to let it hold me back.

“I really hope that people in Watford and across the country make the extra day count on Wednesday, February 29th and help the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign raise funds for ground-breaking research into treatments for Duchenne and other muscle-wasting diseases. It could help to change the lives of the next generation born with muscular dystrophy.”

Muscular dystrophy and other neuromuscular conditions cause muscles to weaken and waste over time, leading to disability and in the case of some types of the disease, significantly shortening life-expectancy.

The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign has been funding research into treatments and cures for the conditions for over 50 years, and has helped pioneer specialist care for the 70,000 people of all ages across the UK who are affected.

Laura Watts, the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign’s London and Hertfordshire Volunteer Fundraising Manager said: “Anybody can get involved and make the extra day count this year by holding a fundraising event and helping us to fund vital research, which could change the lives of hundreds of people across Hertfordshire.

“By taking on the challenge of a life-time and jumping out of a plane for us, persuading the boss to raffle off a day’s annual leave, or even organising an event for friends and family on February 29, you will be help to support people like Stevie by taking us one step closer to a cure for muscular dystrophy.”

To find out more about Make Today Count visit www.muscular-dystrophy.org or to find out more about sky-dive locations across the UK, call the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign’s Fundraising hotline on 0845 872 9058.