World Duchenne Organization Welcomes Graciela Méndez as New Board Member

The World Duchenne Organization (WDO) is glad to share the appointment of Graciela Méndez (Mexico) as its newest board member. This marks a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to support people and families affected by Duchenne and Becker Muscular Dystrophy worldwide.

 

Graciela Méndez’s journey to joining the WDO Board is personal. Her nephew, Lalo, was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. The family encountered challenges in accessing care and information to support him effectively. In response to this lack of resources, she and her family founded Enlace Distrofia Muscular Duchenne Becker. This is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing care for DMD/BMD patients and their families in Northern Mexico since 2000.

 

Welcoming Graciela Méndez

 

“I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to be part of the WDO Board”, says Graciela. “By doing so, I mainly hope to learn from all the organizations, members and allies of WDO. Additionally I want to share what we do in México and Latin America for the benefit of our patients and their families. Being able to overcome the many challenges in Latin America, leads me to work hard on solutions that specifically apply to our needs. I want to be able to share them with the entire DMD/DMB community.”

Her appointment comes as she succeeds Santiago Ordoñez. Santiago served as a WDO Board Member from 2020 while being president of ADM Argentina. He worked closely with Graciela Méndez and Nicoletta Madia on enhancing group engagement with WDO member organizations across Latin American countries.

 

Advancing WDO’s mission

 

Elizabeth Vroom, WDO Chair, emphasized Graciela’s role in advancing the organization’s mission. She stated, “Graciela’s addition to the WDO board is a testament to her commitment within the DMD/BMD community in Latin America. Her strong experience in outreach programs and projects enhances our commitment to support DMD/BMD communities. In addition to this, her expertise and experience will enhance our understanding of specific challenges in Latin America. This will allow us to develop more targeted and effective strategies to support them.”