Pat Furlong is the Founding President and CEO of Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD), the largest nonprofit organization in the United States solely focused on Duchenne muscular dystrophy (Duchenne). Their mission is to end Duchenne. They accelerate research, raise their voices in Washington, demand optimal care for all young men, and educate the global community. 

Duchenne is the most common fatal, genetic childhood disorder. It affects 1:4,600 boys worldwide and has no cure. 

When doctors diagnosed her two sons, Christopher and Patrick, with Duchenne in 1984, Pat immersed herself in research, working to understand the pathology of the disorder, the extent of research investment and the mechanisms for optimal care.

In 1994, Pat, together with other parents of young men with Duchenne, founded PPMD to change the course of Duchenne and, ultimately, to find a cure. Today, Pat is considered one of the foremost authorities on Duchenne in the world.