Coming Together for a Cure (CTFAC), a nonprofit dedicated to empowering families affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy and other rare diseases, today announced a groundbreaking partnership with Cix Health to develop a comprehensive Caregiver Support Application that will be offered free to the CTFAC community.

What if the treatment they said was impossible… actually worked? In this inspiring episode of The Real Health Podcast, Dr. Ron Hunninghake, MD sits down with Blake Benton to discuss his family’s incredible journey with stem cell therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Learn how Coming Together for a Cure, a nonprofit founded by the Benton family, is now helping hundreds of families access life-changing treatments!

When my brother Ryan was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, our world changed forever. As his primary caretaker for over a decade, I experienced firsthand the heartbreak of watching him face the relentless progression of this disease- but also the extraordinary moments of resilience, joy, and unwavering hope that defined his spirit. It was this journey that led to the founding of our organization, built on a mission to fight for better treatments, better care, and a better future for families like ours.

Over the 37 years of caring for his brother Ryan, Blake Benton learned how much small adjustments could dramatically impact Ryan’s quality of life.

Benton, now in his early 30s and cofounder and executive director of Coming Together for a Cure, remembers when Ryan, 5 years younger than him and living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), was in his 20s—stronger than he would later become—yet if his arm slipped off the joystick of his wheelchair, he didn’t have the strength to lift it back up. Benton said something as simple as this could leave his brother stuck, unable to move or call for help.

Blake Benton’s earliest memories were his brother declining due to Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

About 10 years later, his parents and brother made a bold move. They went to Costa Rica to get an experimental stem cell therapy. And it worked. Ryan was able to live until he was 37 years old with little degeneration caused by his DMD. He died in 2023 of complications from kidney stones.

Ryan and Blake started a non-profit named after a benefit concert they held – Coming Together for a Cure (CTFAC). The goal of CTFAC is to advocate for more stem cell research in DMD and other diseases. There are many challenges, especially in the US.

For Blake Benton, becoming his brother’s primary caregiver came naturally. “It was a coin flip chance that I could have been the brother that was born with that disease, and when that really sunk in, it was just a no-brainer that I was going to do everything I could,” he said. Yet, the role took its toll and affected Blake Benton’s relationship with his brother and his own well-being.

Co-founders Ryan and Blake Benton are brothers. Ryan is the first person in the world with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, DMD, to be successfully treated with mesenchymal stem cells.

Their nonprofit is dedicated to bringing awareness about the treatment and connecting people to resources.