Inclusion-body myositis is a debilitating disease that breaks down and weakens muscles, typically in people over the age of 50, with no cure. May is inclusion-body myositis awareness month, and one lifelong Central Coast resident, who was diagnosed with IBM in 2010, continues to spread the word and work toward finding a cure.
Vance Robinson of Paso Robles started the Myositis SoCal 1st Pitch campaign in 2017, throwing out the 1st pitch at California college baseball games. With the pandemic prohibiting him from attending games over the past year, he’s taken to Instagram and continued to get support from teams like Harvard and Cal Poly, and even MLB teams like the Dodgers, Yankees, and Giants. Robinson says this disease has continued to change his life, but that won’t stop him from fighting for a cure.
“It’s a real sad situation. I’m looking at my family looking at me, and they’re seeing their uncle and brother getting weaker and weaker,” said Robinson. “There might not be a cure for me – I might be beyond that point – but for the future, I don’t want to see anyone go through what I’m going through. It would be great to have a cure for the future, for someone that might get this, for some hope. Right now, there’s no hope. I’m just glad I have this upbeat attitude.”
Robinson’s goal is to raise $1,000 by the end of the month for inclusion-body myositis research. If you’d like to donate toward the cause, here.
