Los Angeles, CA (KTLA) — Tyler Armstrong, an 8-year-old boy from Yorba Linda, plans to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise awareness for a lethal muscle disease.

If Armstrong reaches the summit on July 1, he will be the second youngest person to ever climb Africa's tallest peak.

Tyler is climbing to raise awareness and funds to find a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which affects 300,000 boys worldwide.

He first became interested in helping children with Duchenne when he met a boy with the disease who was in a wheelchair.

The boy is asking people to donate a dollar for every foot he climbs. Kilimanjaro is 19,341 feet tall.

All donations to his effort will support CureDuchenne, non-profit organization that supports scientists doing research on the disease.

Tyler is undergoing a rigorous training schedule as only 30 percent of hikers are successful at reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro.

Previously, he reached the top of Mount Whitney in Sierra Nevada, California, the tallest in the continental United States. Tyler is believed to be the youngest person to climb that mountain in a single day.

To donate or follow Tyler's climb, go to http://www.topwithtyler.com.

CureDuchenne can be reached at http://www.cureduchenne.org.