January 26, 2006

ON OUR NEW NATIONAL GOODWILL AMBASSADOR, LUKE CHRISTIE

This year, you’ll be seeing a new television public service announcement (PSA) campaign from MDA featuring a charismatic 12-year-old boy named Luke Christie. In the PSA, Luke speaks about his dreams for the future.

	Luke Christie, 12, of Due West, S.C., is MDA’s National Goodwill Ambassador for 2006.

“When I grow up, I want to be a pastor, a novelist, a theater director and a chef at a small-town restaurant,” Luke says. “I want to be all of these things.”

The PSA, which also features MDA National Chairman Jerry Lewis, goes on to emphasize that because of MDA-funded research into neuromuscular diseases, youngsters like Luke have hope that their dreams can be realized.

Luke, who lives in Due West, S.C., and has spinal muscular atrophy, has served three terms as MDA’s Goodwill Ambassador for his home state.

Last year, Luke was featured on the 2005 Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon in a special video profile, in which he and his family members discussed their hopes for Luke’s future and the reality of dealing with his progressive disease.

	Luke Christie, center, with brothers Spencer and Parker and parents Brad and Gloria.

Luke’s father, Brad, is an English professor at Erskine College and Seminary. His mother, Gloria, is a certified dental assistant. Luke has two older brothers, Parker, 18, and Spencer, 15.

The profile aired twice during the 21 ½-hour live broadcast and was followed both times by a live interview segment with the family, hosted by Telethon co-host Cynthia Garrett. Luke’s optimism and his engaging personality made a big hit with viewers.

A few months later, Luke was offered a new and even more challenging role: MDA National Goodwill Ambassador. He accepted.

The position was held in 2005 by 7-year-old Morgan Fritz of St. Peters, Mo., who also has spinal muscular atrophy.

Like Morgan, during his term Luke will travel the country meeting with groups and organizations that support MDA, and making public appearances to drive home the importance of intensifying the fight against neuromuscular diseases.

Also, he’ll be appearing in the above mentioned television PSA campaign as well as in radio and print PSAs. And he’ll be making a return engagement to the Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon.

“I truly admire the scientists and the researchers who are working to find a cure for my disease,” Luke says. “They’re putting in long hours to try to develop something that will help many, many kids.”

Luke also has great admiration for Jerry Lewis. “He is very emotional when it comes to MDA, and that shows how much he really cares for people with neuromuscular diseases. And I also think he is very, very, very funny. He’s a spectacular man.”

Luke is a seventh-grader at Cherokee Trail Elementary in Donalds, S.C. He enjoys reading, writing stories, listening to country music and being active in Boy Scouts. In fact, he hopes to earn his Eagle badge some day.

“It’s an extracurricular activity which I can really enjoy. And I look up to my brothers for what they’ve done in Scouts, and I said, ‘Well, I want to be an Eagle, too.’”

Another thing Luke gets very excited about is his annual week at MDA summer camp.

“About when spring comes, I get what I call camp fever,” he says. “That’s all I think about. A lot of times I dream about it at night, and I think, ‘Oh, I wonder what we’re going to do this year.’”

Luke, who would never be called shy, has no problem about asking people to help MDA.

“I tell them, you know, camp is a wonderful place. Would you like to see a child happy? Would you like to see a child go to camp? You can do that. You’re helping us find a cure, go to camp or do whatever we want.”

Despite his optimism, Luke is realistic about the serious nature of his disorder.

“The most difficult thing about living with spinal muscular atrophy type II is not being as independent as I would like. Sometimes there are things I would really like to do on my own, but they require help. And living with SMA, that’s just part of life.”

Among his upcoming appearances in behalf of MDA, Luke will be speaking before 5,000 people at the ERA Real Estate International Business Conference in San Francisco in February. ERA has been an MDA corporate sponsor since 1977.

We’re greatly excited to have this extremely likable and intelligent young man helping to spread our message of hope and compassion. I know that with Luke Christie and his family on the MDA team, 2006 will shape up to be something very special indeed.

With every best wish . . .

The Ross Report Archive