One person in a family suffering from a terminal illness is unfortunate enough. But, to have four of six siblings similarly afflicted is a tragedy. Sunpixman Ashraf Shamsul Azlan follows duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) sufferer Nur Fazira Jamhari as she learn to face life one day at a time. DMD is a genetic disorder characterised by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness. It was first diagnosed in 1987. It affects approximately one in every 3,500 newborn baby boys, but only one in 50 million girls according to www.duchenneuk.org its victims may not survive beyond their mid-20s. Nur Fazira had a brother who succumbed to the disease at the tender age of four. Her sister lost the battle when she turned 12. By comparison, Fazira and another sister are the lucky ones. Both have beaten the odds and survived into adulthood. She marked her 30th birthday on July while her sister, Siti Nor Aishah, is 23. But, more than just staying alive, Fazira has learned to become financially independent. She has a successful business that she started in 2009 as a henna tattoo artist .
