Kayla Vittek of Rocklin is the face of myotonic muscular dystrophy, a genetic disease that affects muscles and organs in the body.

And on Sept. 6, she let almost 40 million viewers across the U.S. into the life of living with MMD through her family’s appearance on the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon raising funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Vittek, now 4 years old, was diagnosed with MMD at 46 days old. She was born two months early and was immediately placed into the care of doctors after her birth, hooked up to a ventilator, which she used until she was 9 months old.

“The doctor said, ‘pull her life support,’” Kayla’s mom Lisa Vittek remembers. “They didn’t think she was going to survive.”

“She has exceeded all expectations,” Lisa said.

But the way Lisa describes Kayla, she’s like many other children her age.

“She’s absolutely in love with David Archuleta,” Lisa said.

Kayla also loves to dance and read and participates in weekly Ride to Walk sessions, which provide horseback riding therapy for Kayla.

Through everything Kayla has been through, the word “determination” comes to mind when Lisa describes her daughter.

“She’s so far from where she started,” Lisa said. “She just kept fighting these little obstacles.”

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