Why my challenge is feet in shaving cream

Explaining why the challenge is what it is.

Hi everyone, I imagine some of you probably wonder why my Muscular Dystrophy challenge is feet in shaving cream and what exactly it has to do with Muscular Dystrophy. I know many people misunderstand the challenge and when they see feet are involved, they automatically assume that it’s some kind of fetish thing under the guise of raising awareness. I can tell everyone right now that it’s definitely NOT! I actually discussed this in one of my other blogs but I would just like to explain the whole thing in its own blog post. 

Why is your challenge putting your feet in shaving cream?

Well, this is a good question and one that people should ask me first and allow me to explain before assuming that the challenge is for fetish purposes. So I chose putting feet into shaving cream because it’s something easy to do for everyone, including the disabled. When the Ice Bucket challenge came out, no one like me could do it. A. We have life support and mobility equipment that will be damaged if it gets wet. B. Some of us, including myself, are sensitive to cold temperatures and can get sick if we get drenched in ice water. So I wanted something that wouldn’t be anywhere near our faces or too close to our machines. Putting our feet into something was the best option. It’s not much of a challenge, I know. If anything, it’s something fun yet simple to raise awareness that is inclusive. But I want everyone to do it this way. I don’t want anyone to put their own spin on things or putting shaving cream in faces. Because that’s been done to death and I also have an irrational fear of things on faces. Keep it simple and just put your feet in! It’s a lot easier to clean.

What does the challenge have to do with Muscular Dystrophy?

It really has nothing to do with Muscular Dystrophy. Like I said in the last question, I just created it as a fun, simple, and unique way to raise awareness that everyone, including people who are physically disabled, can take part in. I guess you could say that the slipperiness of the shaving cream kinda simulates how unstable you feel trying to stand up in the early stages of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy when we began losing our ability to walk. But I rarely mention that part for the sole reason (no pun intended) that I don’t want anyone to stand up and then fall and get injured. So if you do the challenge, sit! I have to say it’s a pretty satisfying experience!

Why does it look like only girls are doing it?

It looks like it, doesn’t it? Fact is women are much more likely to do it than men. I ask everyone to do it. Men, Women, and kids. I don’t just ask women. Guys are usually like “my girlfriend/wife/etc, will do it". But they themselves usually chicken out. But again, the challenge is open to everyone of every age. Kids have so much fun with it, but adults enjoy it too. 

In Conclusion.

Don’t assume something and judge another person because you don’t understand something. It’s harmless fun, and it makes someone who doesn’t have much they can physically do happy. This challenge is really important to me and I want more people to take part in it, so it goes viral.

What you have to do

Hi everyone,

 

Here’s what you have to do for the Muscular Dystrophy awareness challenge.  

The challenge is actually very simple to do, and it’s pretty fun. Basically, all you do is sit in a chair (because it’s a little slippery) and have someone record you putting your bare feet into a tub of shaving cream. Or you can donate to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Then challenge 3 of your friends to do a video of it (or donate) within 3 days or whenever they can. Here’s a general idea of what to say, but it doesn’t have to be exactly this.

Hi, I’m ____! I’m doing Mike Riley’s Shaving Cream challenge to raise awareness for Muscular Dystrophy. It’s easy. All you have to do is put your bare feet in shaving cream or donate to the MD Association. I’m challenging ___, ___, and ___ please try to do this in 3 days. Let’s go viral! Also, please sit when you put your feet in because it’s slippery.

(Please feel free to dedicate this to someone who you know suffers from MD or in memory of someone who had the disease.)

I know I said on my last Blogger post I said that the shaving cream is slippery and simulates what it’s like to not have control of your legs. But in order to keep the challenge safe and fun, please make sure you are sitting down when you put your feet into the shaving cream. I just don’t want you to fall and get hurt❤.  .  

 Here's my video of me doing the challenge.

Creating the MDA Challenge

Creating the challenge

A few years back, Pete Frates and Pat Quinn created the ALS Ice Bucket challenge to help raise awareness of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) and encourage people to donate to research. Many people across Social Media including many celebrities, took part in the challenge, causing it to go viral and raising $225 million for ALS. It inspired me to create a challenge to raise awareness of Muscular Dystrophy, a disease I suffer from. For those of you who don’t know what Muscular Dystrophy is, it’s a group of 40+ genetic diseases that cause progressive weakness and loss of muscle mass throughout the body. Check out my last Blogger post for a more detailed explanation of what Muscular Dystrophy is.

While the Ice Bucket challenge was a brilliant idea, many of us who have Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy could not take part because we’re on ventilator machines which cannot get wet. So I wanted to create something unique but simple that everyone can do, including people with disabilities like me and something that can be done either indoors or outdoors year round. I thought of a few ideas, one of which was pieing yourself in the face, but that has been done to death and again those of us with a Trach and ventilator. That would be a problem. I also have an irrational fear of people putting stuff on their faces because of severe claustrophobia. So then I thought how about people putting their feet in something because with a little help people like me can definitely do that. I first thought of using ice water but then thought it was too close to the Ice bucket challenge plus freezing cold water might not be good for people who have a compromised immune system. So one day I was at the grocery store with my mom and we just passed down the aisle with shaving products, and I saw all the cans of shaving cream. That’s when it hit me. Shaving Cream would be perfect! It’s widely available and easy to clean up and it actually looks like it would be pretty comfortable (it definitely is lol!). Plus, you can do it indoors or out. Also, the shaving cream is very slippery and it kind of simulates how it is to stand or walk when we lose our ability to do that. It’s basically the feeling of not having control. So the MD Shaving Cream challenge was born with my cousins being the first to take part. Over the years, many people have taken part, mostly me, my friends and family, and all the aides and nurses who have come to my house. Plus countless YouTubers and a handful of actors, actresses, and newspeople. I plan on continuing to keep the challenge going as long as I can or until it goes viral.