Cerebral Palsy is an unwelcome yet unfortunate global phenomenon with over 17 million lives impacted by it all over the world. October 6 is commemorated each year as World Cerebral Palsy Day. It was conceived by the Cerebral Palsy Alliance in 2012.
Cerebral Palsy happens to be one of the most common physical disorders that affects the most vulnerable group of human beings, that is, children and is said to be one of those maladies having no permanent cure, as such.
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This day is celebrated with an aim to reach out to as many people as possible and summon them to instill joy in those who suffer from this dreadful disability by helping them access a pleasurable future. The goal is to guarantee a future in which children as well as adults suffering from the disorder get opportunities on a par with the normal beings.
Scientifically, Cerebral Palsy is one of the least understood disorders and those who suffer from it are often left uncared for. It is the most common physical disability in childhood.
Cerebral palsy is a permanent disability that affects movement. Its impact can range from a weakness in one hand, to almost a complete lack of voluntary movement. Its complexity is such that one out of four children with cerebral palsy is unable to talk or walk, one out of two persons suffers from intellectual disability, and one out of four individuals also suffers from epilepsy.
Coming to the timeline pertaining to World Cerebral Palsy Day, Dr William John Little, who was born in 1810, happened to be the first ever person to scientifically study this disability at length. In 1932, Harry Jennings, an engineer, built the first ever folding wheelchair to ease the lives of those suffering from the motor impairments that Cerebral Palsy brings along. In 1948, the United Palsy Association was founded with the objective of lending a helping hand to palsied patients for better diagnosis, treatment and raising funds.
Finally, in 2002, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention undertook the first cross-country study on the global effects of Cerebral Palsy on those who are victimised by it.
This World Cerebral Palsy Day, come out and tell your story, because everyone that goes through it deserves a chance to be heard. If you are a victim or are connected to a victim of the disability, speak about it. Let there be sufficient awareness about it.
Palsy, like every other disability, comes with stigmas and misconceptions attached to it. A few societies even believe that cerebral palsy is a contagious disease. Hence, this year, everyone having deficient knowledge about it, has to step forward and attend ‘eye openers on cerebral palsy or at least make attempts to educate themselves better on the issue.
You never know how the knowledge you have gained might turn out to be beneficial for someone in your own family or your community. Most importantly, people who do not suffer from this disability have to be empathetic and compassionate towards those who have no choice but to endure it. Thanks to the constant maltreatment from society, kids who suffer from cerebral palsy often undergo feelings of isolation. Hence, make it your duty to make such kids feel wanted and do whatever you can to embrace them into your world of ‘normalcy’. Make it a day they will always remember.
Alarmingly, Cerebral Palsy most often victimises children, premature babies and infants wherein one in every five hundred infants is born with the disability. The heart-wrenching truth is that, in multiple societies across the world, victims of Cerebral Palsy are often kept hidden away from the rest of the community. Statistically, in the Netherlands, a baby is born with Cerebral Palsy, every 22 hours.
This World Cerebral Palsy Day let us remember that Cerebral Palsy is NOT a disease. It is a disorder that mainly affects motor functioning. This day globally promotes inclusion for those who suffer from the disability and is seen as an opportunity to open our minds to accept it. Therefore, let us all pledge ourselves towards the creation of a world that is more understanding, and above all, caringly tolerant of the disabilities that exist around us, one of them being, Cerebral Palsy.
