Concord teen Bryson Foster to open nationally televised MDA telethon

Bryson Foster.
Photo courtesy quest.mda.org

Bryson Foster, who has been the 2012 and 2013 Muscular Dystrophy Association's National Goodwill Ambassador, will open the 48th annual MDA Show of Strength Telethon on Sunday.

The two-hour telethon begins 9 p.m. on ABC channels across the country (that's Channel 9 in Charlotte).

Bryson, 13, has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which is characterized by muscle weakness in the hips, legs and shoulders. It involves a progressive degeneration of voluntary and cardiac muscles, which severely limits life spans, a release from the MDA said.

Bryson will  make several appearances throughout the show he'll co-host with Shawn Parr and introduce some of the show's biggest acts, including the Backstreet Boys and Austin Mahone.

As the MDA's National Goodwill Ambassador, the Concord native travels all over the country to speak to groups about MDA's research. Proceeds raised from Sunday's telethon will go toward MDA's mission of helping people affected by muscle diseases.