IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) — A 7-year-old Adair County boy will be this week’s Kid Captain when the Iowa Hawkeyes take on the Penn State Nittany Lions. KCRG reports Micah Norby, from Greenfield, was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy at 5 years old, after his parents noticed him falling more often and lagging behind on the soccer field.  Micah received a new gene therapy on the day before his sixth birthday at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital. The treatment was intended to slow the progression of the disease.

University of Iowa health care (photo)

The treatment needed to be administered before he turned 6. His health care team had to appeal for insurance coverage, and an illness caused a delay in treatment. Micah was the first child in Iowa outside of clinical trials to receive this treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. He is now 7 years old and enjoys swimming, fishing, and using his remote-control car.