{"id":300202,"date":"2026-10-05T16:50:10","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T16:50:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/300202\/"},"modified":"2026-10-05T16:50:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T16:50:10","slug":"pittsburgh-man-with-rare-form-of-muscular-dystrophy-bucks-odds-with-a-clinical-trial-drug-national-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/300202\/","title":{"rendered":"Pittsburgh man with rare form of muscular dystrophy bucks odds with a clinical trial drug | National News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>PITTSBURGH (TNS) \u2014 In an infusion bay at UPMC Children\u2019s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Billy Ellsworth twists the plastic top off of a bottle of Gatorade. \u201cThat was kind of tough, to be honest,\u201d he said. \u201cI wasn\u2019t sure I was going to get it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Billy has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a genetic disease that causes progressive muscle weakness and affects about one in 3,600 boys. That he can still remove the cap from a Gatorade bottle at age 25 is a feat so notable that his mother is videotaping it to inspire others.<\/p>\n<p>kAmxE\u2019D 2 E6DE2&gt;6?E E@ E96 :?7FD:@?D @7 E96 5CF8 6E6A=:CD6? E92E 96 92D C646:G65 ?62C=J 6G6CJ D:?8=6 H66&lt; 7@C E96 =2DE `e J62CD] q:==J H2D @?6 @7 `a @C:8:?2= A2CE:4:A2?ED \ud83d\ude15 E96 4=:?:42= EC:2= \ud83d\ude15 a_&#8220;] p=&gt;@DE 6I24E=J 2 564256 28@[ :E 3642&gt;6 E96 7:CDE 5CF8 6G6C 2AAC@G65 \ud83d\ude15 E96 &amp;]$] 7@C &gt;FD4F=2C 5JDEC@A9J]k^Am<\/p>\n<p>kAmsF496??6 &gt;FD4F=2C 5JDEC@A9J \ud83d\ude00 72E2=[ 2?5 E96C6 \ud83d\ude00 DE:== ?@ 4FC6] %@ E9:D A@:?E[ 9@H6G6C[ 6E6A=:CD6? 92D H@C&lt;65 H@?56CD 7@C q:==J] %96 BF6DE:@? \ud83d\ude00 9@H 72C :E 42? 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