Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day 2018 and more!

Hello everyone!

I hope you are all well and have had a lovely weekend! Today, Sunday 25th March 2018, is International Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day! Over 17 million people worldwide have CP, that’s 1 in 400 live births. So Cerebral Palsy isn’t as rare as you may think, actually it’s the most common physical disability in children. There are many different types of CP that vary in severity but no two cases are the same. While we have several treatments available for Cerebral Palsy, there is no cure yet. To be honest, I wish I could say with 100% certainty that if a cure was found,  I wouldn't take it because my Cerebral Palsy is part of me. However, CP has made my life so much more difficult than the average sixteen year old therefore I truly don't know what I would say if somebody, one day just said 'Evie, we can cure you from your disability'. Many people want to spread awareness for CP in the hope to find a cure but I'm not searching for one, I just am trying my very best to spread as much awareness as possible and, yes, if a cure comes around then great but for the moment it's just important that we speak out for Cerebral Palsy.

Things you may not know about Cerebral Palsy:

1. Cerebral Palsy is a neurological disorder which is caused by damage to the brain during pregnancy, soon after birth or within the first year of life. This may surprise some of you as many people believe we have a problem with our legs or wherever is affected has been deformed in some way however it's the signals from our brain to our muscles which are disputed causing us to look slightly different than people without CP. My Cerebral Palsy was caused by a bleed on the brain when I was just a few days old.

2. There are many different types of CP, almost in a spectrum like Autism. Cerebral Palsy is an umbrella term for several different neurological disorders which represent themselves in different ways but some symptoms are the same. There are three primary types of CP: Spastic (muscle stiffness), Athetoid (involuntary movements) and Ataxic (difficulty with coordinated movement). You can also have a mixture of these types, this is called mixed Cerebral Palsy. I have Spastic Cerebral Palsy which is most common. Cerebral Palsy can affect all four limbs (quadriplegia), all four limbs are affected but two are mostly affected (diplegia), one side of the body is affected (hemiplegia) and only one limb is affected (monoplegia). I have diplegia.

3. Cerebral Palsy ranges in severity from extremely mild to severe. Some people's Cerebral Palsy is unnoticeable, some may just have very slight issues with co-ordination and balance while others may need the help of a walking stick to move around however some will be entirely wheelchair bound. I am somewhere in the middle!

4. Cerebral palsy is not an intellectual disability. Although CP originates from the brain, the condition itself is not a learning disability however, due to damage to the brain, people with CP may have learning disabilities as well. Most people with Cerebral Palsy have average or above average intelligence. Therefore, it's really important to remember when interacting with a person who has CP that they are most likely fully competent and just like you. 

5. People will Cerebral Palsy are capable and deserve to be given opportunities in which they will thrive. Every single person with CP has a variety of skills and talents. Some athletic, musical or creative. Others are writers, scholars or comedians. No matter what skills or talents they have, every single person with Cerebral Palsy is capable and have true potential to succeed in life if given the right care and support to allow them to do this.

How can you help?

1. Increase your knowledge about Cerebral Palsy and I hope by reading this blog I've helped you to achieve this. The more you know, the more you can help. 

2. Share this through social media or just with friends.

3. Don't be afraid to ask questions and get involved! I always welcome my readers to contact me, I would love to hear your thoughts.

4. Donate to charities who help people with Cerebral Palsy, even the smallest amount will make a difference. I have set up a Just Giving page for Scope. If you are able to donate, it means so much! Just click the link below. Or you can text IMGC48 followed by the amount you'd like to donate (for example £1) to 70070. https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/eve-osborne1 

5. Change the way you interact with people who have a disability, don't be afraid to go up to them and say hello! Be a part of the 'Just Say Hi' campaign.  

I will be writing a few more posts in the next few weeks as I haven't updated you properly for ages and tomorrow is Epilepsy Awareness Day therefore watch this space! ;)

Thank you very much for reading and if you would like to get in contact with me, all the details are in the 'Contact' section of my blog. 

Evie :) x

Here's the link to donate to Scope :) https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/eve-osborne1