Bryson Foster is a noted teen

activist Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range fro ...

who advocates and fundraises for the development of treatments for

muscular dystrophy Muscular dystrophies (MD) are a genetically and clinically heterogeneous group of rare neuromuscular diseases that cause progressive weakness and breakdown of skeletal muscles over time. The disorders differ as to which muscles are primarily affe ...

. Born June 28, 2000, Foster was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy at age five.

As MDA Goodwill Ambassador

While attending a

Muscular Dystrophy Association The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) is an American 501(c)(3) umbrella organization that works to support people with neuromuscular diseases. Founded in 1950 by Paul Cohen, who lived with muscular dystrophy, it works to combat neuromuscular di ...

banquet at age nine, Foster asked if he could address the audience. "I was anxious because I had never done it before, but when I got up there I didn't want to stop," he recalled. To the surprise of his parents, Foster demonstrated a flair for communication; this in turn led to his choice as a national MDA Goodwill Ambassador (formerly known as an MDA

Poster Child A poster child (sometimes poster boy or poster girl) is, according to the original meaning of the term, a child afflicted by some disease or deformity whose picture is used on posters or other media as part of a campaign to raise money or enlist ...

) for two consecutive years (2012 and 2013). In this role, Foster appeared on the annual MDA telethon, by then called the

MDA Show of Strength The ''MDA Labor Day Telethon'' was an annual telethon held on (starting the night before and throughout) Labor Day in the United States to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). The Muscular Dystrophy Association was founded in ...

, visited numerous MDA corporate and business sponsors (including

Lowe's Lowe's Companies, Inc. (), often shortened to Lowe's, is an American retail company specializing in home improvement. Headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina, the company operates a chain of retail stores in the United States and Canada. A ...

and

Harley-Davidson Harley-Davidson, Inc. (H-D, or simply Harley) is an American motorcycle manufacturer headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1903, it is one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depressi ...

), and met many celebrities (including singers

Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...

Pitbull Pit bull is a term used in the United States for a type of dog descended from bulldogs and terriers, while in other countries such as the United Kingdom the term is used as an abbreviation of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed. The term was f ...

, Faith Hill and

Tim McGraw Samuel Timothy McGraw (born May 1, 1967) is an American country singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He has released 16 studio albums (11 for Curb Records, four for Big Machine Records and one for Arista Nashville). 10 of those album ...

, among others). Foster also dealt frequently with the media and appeared in various MDA national promotional materials, including video public service announcements and MDA "

shamrocks Shamrocks is a solitaire game akin to La Belle Lucie. The object is the same as the latter: move the cards into the foundations. Rules The game is layout out as in La Belle Lucie: seventeen piles of three cards are placed on the table with one ca ...

." He has also served as MDA Goodwill Ambassador for the

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

, area. "My favorite part of the job," explained Foster of his Goodwill Ambassador role, "is meeting new people and being able to thank the sponsors and supporters in person who help make an impact in the lives of people just like me. Every dollar and every cent really does count, and my mission is to have fun while spreading the word about MDA and its mission to help people living with muscle disease." "Most kids my age don't come across opportunities like the ones I've had. . . ," he also observed. "I've experienced so many new things and met wonderful people along the way. I just want to keep speaking from my heart and doing what I love most to inspire people to support a cause that is close to me and my family."

More recent activities

Foster remains active as an MDA fundraiser and independent MD spokesperson, participating in such fundraising efforts as "Muscle Team, Muscle Walk, Lock-Ups, Shamrocks, mobile kickoffs, Fill the Boot, golf tournaments and social events." His walk team, Bryson's Bikers, has raised tens of thousands of dollars for the MDA.

Other interests

Foster's speaking skills resulted in a voice actor role in the app ''Little Ashby: Star Reporter'', developed by “

Entertainment Tonight ''Entertainment Tonight'' (or simply ''ET'') is an American Broadcast syndication, first-run syndicated news broadcasting news magazine, newsmagazine program that is distributed by CBS Media Ventures throughout the United States and owned by Para ...

” host and MDA National

ALS Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that results in the progressive loss of motor neurons that control voluntary muscles. ALS is the most com ...

Ambassador Nancy O'Dell. Foster performed the voice of child cameraperson "Arty." A sports fan, Foster plans to pursue a career in sports, either as a football player, coach, or announcer.

External links

*
2012 MDA Show of Strength: Bryson Foster Profile
" MDA video, 2012. *
2013 MDA Shamrocks PSA featuring Bryson Foster
" MDA video, 2013. *
On the Road with the Fosters
" MDA video, ca. 2013 *
Bryson's Buzz
" official Bryson Foster page on Facebook *
Bryson Foster
" official Bryson Foster page on Twitter

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Foster, Bryson American male voice actors Living people People from Concord, North Carolina People with muscular dystrophy 2000 births Activists from North Carolina American child activists