FROM the outset Sammy de Laszlo looks like any other nine year old, happily playing with his favourite cars, or trying to chase his older brother Thomas in the park.

It’s only when you notice he’s not able to keep up with his brother that you start to notice he is unique.

Hiding beneath his adorable cheeky smile lies a severe condition. Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is an incurable, genetic, muscle-wasting disorder that affects children around the world. One-in-3,500 boys is born with it, and it currently affects 2,500 children in the UK.

People who suffer from the condition can’t produce dystrophin, a protein needed to build up muscles. As a result, every muscle in the body deteriorates.

Most boys living with this condition are in a wheelchair by the age of nine, and the life expectancy of an adult with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is between 27 and 30.

Last year, the family moved from London to Alton to get Sammy into a special needs school in the future, and have additional living space at home.

Dad Oliver de Laszlo said: “The best way to describe living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is it’s a rollercoaster that never stops, you have good days you have bad days. You get used to it after a while, cliched as that sounds.

"We were living in a two-bed, ground-floor flat and moved to a five-bed house, so getting used to the space and surroundings has been a real change. But we love Hampshire and the community and local life is wonderful.

"Sammy enjoys his school - St Lawrence Primary School (in Alton) - and they have pulled out all the stops to accommodate his needs. This has really helped with the stress of adjusting to life in Hampshire for him.”

Mr de Laszlo added: “One of the things we have noticed over the last five years is that there is not enough awareness of this rare condition. So putting our creative minds together our Bake a Difference campaign was born with Muscular Dystrophy UK to help raise awareness and vital funds for medical research.

"The fundamental key was to get the message out to schools, families of this rare condition, and to do what we could to help other families like ours suffering with similar conditions, and sharing the same roller coaster.

“The harsh reality is if you ask two people in the street to name four rare illnesses, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy wouldn’t be among them. So even if we’ve told two people that’s two more than before they will pass it on and so on.”

Sponsored by Charters Estate Agents and Caketoppers, the Bake a Difference campaign takes place from October 8-14 and the De Laszlos are urging people to join in.

Mr de Laszlo said: “We launched the Bake a Difference campaign four years ago with Muscular Dystrophy UK a charity very close to our hearts, and it’s gone from strength to strength. Everyone loves baking.

"And with Channel 4’s Great British Bake Off in full swing, there’s no better time to get your aprons on and do some baking. We want as many schools, businesses and families to join in the fun way of fundraising and taking part in this nationwide event.

Cookies, brownies, gingerbread men or your granny’s old secret recipe, they all count and go toward helping this worthy cause and raising funds to find that vital cure."

“Together, with your help, we will be helping to change the lives of people like Sammy living with muscle-wasting conditions,” said Mr de Laszlo.

For more details or to register interest, visit musculardystrophyuk.org/bake-a-difference.