Monday, September 3, 2012

What Having a Child with Cerebral Palsy Means to Us

Today is the first ever World Cerebral Palsy Day!

Matthew was formally diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy back in June. Part of me always suspected it, so I broached the subject with our neurologist and he agreed that he fit all the criteria and we added the diagnosis to the permanent record at that time.

So...what does having a child with Cerebral Palsy mean? Cerebral Palsy can vary from person to person, with the possibility of any number of symptoms. In Matt's case, he has stiffening of the arms and legs and he is immobile in that he cannot sit, stand or walk. We are still in the learning stages of Cerebral Palsy, but rather than talk about what limits Matt, I'd rather show you what having a child with Cerebral Palsy means to our family.




We work hard with our therapists

When we find a problem, we find a way to adapt it to our needs

We enjoy the little things

We find ways to make our work fun

 We work even when we'd prefer not to 

We meet new challenges head-on

And most important, we love  and support each other no matter what!



What does Cerebral Palsy mean to your family?


4 comments:

  1. Love this post Brandi. What a great glimpse into your life with Matty. Here's my CP day post :) http://www.todaysparent.com/blogs/special-needs-parenting/parenting-perspective

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  2. Thanks for sharing your story. I was truly touched. I found your web page through bloggy mom's from florida and just subscribed via rss feed. If you get a chance to stop by my blog and take a look, I would appreciate it. You may also enjoy my charity page.

    www.elainedwalsh.com/blog

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    1. Thank you so much for your sweet comment, Elaine! I am on my way to visit your site now :)

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  3. Matthew is a beautiful baby and you are incredible parents. I know what it takes to care for a child with cp and medical problems. I parented a daughter with spastic quad cp for 27 years. It's not an easy road to travel. If you ever want to connect with other CP families or in need of resources, please consider visiting Cerebral Palsy Family Network. It has tons of useful resources for all those affected by CP! Best of luck. My thoughts and prayers to you and family. Keep up the good work and keep writing!

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