Wednesday, October 1, 2014

All About Cerebral Palsy

Today is World Cerebral Palsy Day!

You may be wondering about Cerebral Palsy. Before finding E., we weren't familiar with Cerebral Palsy either. We had lots of questions as we thought about adopting her!

This is a chart explaining Cerebral Palsy from World CP Day. Click here to view it larger.
General Cerebral Palsy Facts:
  • Definition: Cerebral palsy is caused by damage to the Cerebrum (motor control centers) of the developing brain and can occur during pregnancy, during childbirth, or after birth up to about age three.
  • Types: There are different types of Cerebral Palsy. E. is diagnosed with "mixed type" meaning she has a combination of different types
  • Degrees: There are varying degrees of Cerebral Palsy. E.'s seems to be on the moderate to mild end of the spectrum.
  • Non Progressive: The brain damage does not get any worse with time.
  • Non-Curable: There is currently no cure for Cerebral Palsy.
  • Treatable: Therapy can greatly improve motor skills such as movement and speech.
  • Non-Contagious: Don't Worry! You can't catch it!
  • Non-Hereditary: It is not genetic and isn't given to a child from the parents.
We have learned a lot from watching these videos about cerebral palsy!


Cerebral Palsy: What I Want You To Know




TED Talk: Maysoon Zayid: I got 99 problems... palsy is just one



Moving Forward: With Cerebral Palsy| Cassi Baird


Charisse's Story: My Life Journey with Cerebral Palsy