HE has already defied doctors who said he would not live beyond his teens.

Now Paul Dunsire, of Copmanthorpe, York, is preparing to take part in this month's Great North Run.

It will be a family affair for the wheelchair-bound 24-year-old - who will be pushed around the 13-mile course by his dad Keith, mum Sally, sister Hannah and family friend, Susan Blenkiron.

Paul suffers from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy - a devastating genetic disorder, which causes the muscle cells to break down and die.

Keith, 49, said: "It was diagnosed when Paul was seven, after we took him to a doctor because he couldn't ride a bike.

"Doctors said he would be in a wheelchair by the time he was ten and that he wouldn't live beyond 20.

"It's always been a matter of living day-to-day and seeing how things are. There's no point in planning ten years ahead."

Paul, who went to Tadcaster Grammar School, has a history degree from the University of York, but his condition now makes it impossible for him to find work.

Keith said: "He is completely confined to a wheelchair and he can't even lift his arms.

"But he very rarely complains about his condition and I can't remember a single time when I've heard Paul say: I wish I could do that'.

"He has just accepted that that's how things are and he gets on with life."

It will be 21-year-old Hannah's fifth Great North Run and Keith's sixth, but Sally, 49, and Susan, 39, of Earswick, are first-timers.

Keith, who works in the IT department at Norwich Union, said: "We have done a few runs with Paul and it's not as bumpy for him as we thought it might be.

"Last night we went out for two hours and did nine miles.

"Sally is very nervous because it's the first time she's done anything like this, but I think the atmosphere will get us all round."

The Dunsire family are hoping to raise at least £1,500 for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, which pioneers research into treatment and cures.

It also provides practical, medical and emotional support for people affected by the condition.

To support the family and make a donation to the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, log on to www.justgiving.com/keithdunsire

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy factfile

  • WHAT? A genetic disorder caused by an error in the dystrophin gene, which causes progressive muscle weakness as the muscle cells break down and die.
  • WHO? It only affects boys, with extremely rare exceptions. About 100 boys are born with the condition in the UK each year and there are about 1,500 boys with the disorder living in the country at any one time.
  • WHEN? Most affected boys show the first symptoms when they are aged between one and three. Symtoms include being unable to run or jump as well as their peers, a difficulty climbing stairs and a difficulty getting up from the floor.
  • PROGNOSIS? By the age of 11, boys with Duchenne become wheelchair users. By their late teens the condition is severe enough to shorten life expectancy.