Joining Jack - Joining Owen
As England captain Owen Farrell became only the third Englishman to reach 100 caps, he was joined for the anthems on the Twickenham pitch by Jack Johnson, the boy whose charity is recognised with the JJ salute each time Owen slots a conversion.
Jack and his family, who are from Owen's home town of Wigan, were there as guests at the England v New Zealand Test. Before getting changed into his England mascot kit, 14-year-old Jack said: "It means a lot that Owen thought of me and wanted me here for his 100th cap. He's my inspiration."
In the England camp before the match Owen said: "Jack's dad played with my dad at Wigan and as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is a brutal disease the JJ salute for Jack when I took kicks was a no brainer really. When you know the people and see the fight that Jack's mum and dad have had since Jack was diagnosed, the main thing is to find a cure to help Jack and all these kids. The charity has grown an enormous amount, but we are still fighting to make sure that happens."
Jack's grandfather, Ian Westmorland said: "Thanks to Owen people all over the world know the JJ salute now and have become aware of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and the charities working to fund research and find effective treatments."
MAKING MEMORIES AT TWICKENHAM
Jack opted to walk out onto the pitch to join Owen, rather than using his mobility scooter, which he handles like a formula 1 driver. He was joined in the mascots group by his ten-year-old brother James. The boys were also invited into the England dressing room after the match to see the presentation to Owen marking his 100 caps.
Mum Alex with husband Andy founded Joining Jack after their world fell apart when Jack, three months short of his fourth birthday, was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a muscle-wasting condition for which there is currently no cure.
Alex said: "As a family, we are all incredibly grateful for the amazing experience given to both our boys when Owen reached 100 caps. The boys are huge England fans, so making special memories with Owen is important to them.
"It also gave us a much-welcomed break from running Joining Jack. We can't believe how far the charity has come since we launched in 2012. We attribute the charity's success to the help we have had from Owen and England Rugby in raising the charity's profile on an international stage.
"We have one mission: to change the lives of thousands of people with Duchenne like Jack for the better and we firmly believe that is in touching distance."
In 2022 Joining Jack celebrates 10 years of campaigning, fundraising, lobbying and investing in research to bring the best possible treatments with the best possible outcomes for ALL children living with Duchenne.
In 2016, Joining Jack joined forces with Duchenne UK, uniting two powerful parent-led charities, pooling funds and knowledge, and working together to support the Duchenne community and help end Duchenne.
For more information and to donate to Joining Jack, visit their website: www.joiningjack.org
