Nine-year-old Michael Young who has muscular dystrophy has been fighting for a drug that’s unavailable in Scotland where he lives.

The drug, Translarna helps him to walk and lead a normal life relatively pain-free. He started a petition calling for the drug for him and some of his mates who also need it.

The young campaigner bagged a meeting with Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon in June where he handed over his petition – which had 153,000 signatures – and she told him she would look into his issue.

Victory! Michael received a personal letter from the First Minister telling him he would receive the drug Translarna

He has now received a “surprise letter” from First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon that the drug has been approved for him and other sufferers of the same condition.

He told Change.org: “I am probably the happiest boy in the whole world right now. I got a surprise letter from the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon.

“She has told me that I will get my medicine, Translarna, from my NHS Health Board. This is amazing news. It also means that other boys with Duchenne in Scotland should also get the medicine.

Private meeting: Michael met with Nicola Sturgeon in June to ask for her support

“It is so important, because it will help me stay walking for longer and means I can play with my friends.

“The petition has worked. I’m grateful to every person who signed it. I loved reading everyone’s comments and it helped me stay strong.”

Notes
Change.org petitions are now embeddable. Any mention of a campaign can now be paired with the visual (just as you’d embed tweets in a piece about a topic on Twitter). Find out more in our handy ‘how-to’ guide here