Jake-a-Thon a Testament to Friendship and Finding a Cure

On May 26, fifth grader Matt Pozzuolo's desire to help his friend was finally fulfilled.

For a few years, Pozzuolo wanted to hold a fundraiser to help find a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which is "an inherited disorder that involves rapidly worsening muscle weakness," according to PubMed Health. This cause is important to Pozzuolo because his best friend, Jake Wesley, is afflicted by Duchenne MD.

10-year-old Pozzuolo, of Feasterville, said that students at Ferderbar didn't know why Wesley needed to be in a wheelchair nor did they know was Duchenne MD was. 

In order to inform his fellow classmates, Pozzuolo held presentations and a question and answer session with Wesley's mother, Cindy Wesley, in April. 

"Jake really liked it; he thought that after,  everyone did understand it," Pozzuolo said of his classmates understanding what Duchenne MD is. 

Then, on May 26, Pozzuolo said that he, Jake and every student that was at school that day walked around 's recess yard.

"The walk was to show that even though Jake is a wheel chair, he can still get around; he’s like everybody else," Pozzuolo said.

"He does have challenges in his life but he tries to over come them," he said of Wesley; the two have been friends since second grade.

To raise funds, Pozzuolo said that he and members of the EarlyAct club sold wristbands for $2, paper footballs to hang in the school and people also donated toward the cause.

A total of about $500 was raised and donated to Parent Project MD, the largest nonprofit organization in the United States focused entirely on Duchenne MD.

"I was really happy that it actually worked," Pozzuolo said.

"I thought we wouldn’t have enough time in the school year. I was just thankful we could do it for Jake," he said.

Though both Pozzuolo and Welsey will be moving to next year, Pozzuolo said he would like to hold the Jake-a-Thon again and make it bigger.

"I’m very proud of him and his group that they stepped up and decided this was something they needed to do for someone in their school," Pozzuolo's mother, Lisa Pozzuolo, said.

CBS Philadelphia attended the Jake-a-Thon and interviewed Pozzuolo. The piece will air Tuesday, June 14 during the 5 p.m. newscast and Wednesday, June 15 during the 6 a.m. broadcast.