The inspirational story of Mo and Hidde, two young man with the rare muscle disease Lama2-MD, who are hoping for an innovative stem cell therapy and a healthier future thanks to the European project Generate Your Muscle (GYM) of Interreg (Euregio Meuse-Rhine). Mo, Hidde and their families are showing the impact of this rare muscle disease, but also the resilience and happiness in their lifes.

The short documentary was made possible thanks to a collaboration between the Voor Sara foundation and the GYM project, led by professor Bert Smeets. Thanks to a subsidy from the European Interreg, there has been intensive cooperation between five universities and 2 companies in the Euregio-Meuse-Rhine for four years. The project has resulted in eighteen scientific publications and the establishment of a stem cell company. The Clinical Studies are international milestones and the next goal is already on the agenda. The effectiveness of the treatment will be tested this spring.

Video company Beeldspraak made the documentary together with the Voor Sara foundation to give the scientists a better picture of the lives of the patients. Voor Sara chairman Bram Verbrugge: “We actually wanted to make a short video of one and a half minutes, but Mo, Hidde and their parents said so candidly and beautifully that the project got a bit out of hand in a positive sense. It resulted in this short documentary of sixteen minutes. The honest story of these families also touched me personally as the father of a daughter with the same muscle disease. We definitely didn’t want to shorten it anymore.”

The story of the two brave young men underlines the impact and urgency of scientific research. The families have pinned their hopes on the innovative stem cell therapy and cannot wait for a healthier future. Mo, Hidde and their families show the impact of this rare muscle disease, but also positivity and happiness in their lives.