Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that can affect a person’s posture and ability to move. It’s caused by damage to the brain either during pregnancy or shortly after birth. There are 17 million people with cerebral palsy universal.
Despite that number, a lot of misconceptions live around CP, still among friends and loved ones of people with it. “What do you wish for your friends to know about living with cerebral palsy?”
This is what they had to say about living with cerebral palsy:
1. “It is a journey of stumbles and falls, and it has you see the tiny things in a day that others might miss. slight miracles like being able to stand without any pain, reaching for something that might take you 10 minutes to pick up. Rejoice in the tiny victories.”
2. “I consider that having cerebral palsy has made me a more accepting and concerned person. I can relate to other diverse people, even if it’s not in the same way as me.”
3. “The one thing most people don’t appreciate is that I am almost always in pain, but I hardly ever let it stop me.”
4. “I survive in pain, I survive in embarrassment, but I wake up each morning thanking God for one more day. As with anything else, I try my best.”
5. “Keep in mind that everybody desires to have friends and be a friend… So make friends with people you might not fully understand.”
6. “It is not always noticed, but it is there.“
7. “Because of cerebral palsy, I do not take things for granted, I’m thankful for my skill to see, to run, to move, to be independent. I’m more concerned, open-minded, and patient. ”
8. “No one needs disappointment. If I need help, then I will ask. Never pity me or feel sorry for me.”
9. “You’ll know when true friends/important others come around when your wheelchair or walker won’t be a subject for them!”
10. “It makes you grateful for the small things in life that are easily taken for granted: breathing, eating, sitting, walking, etc.”
11. “We are still people. We have feelings. We want to be happy.”
12. “It has given me a stronger intellect of humor in dealing with being in this oftentimes nutty world.”
13. “My friends already know. That’s part of the reason they’re my friends. But one of the good things about having lived with cerebral palsy all my life is that it has made it needed for me to look for creative ways to get around obstacles most people don’t even have to give a second thought about.”
14. “It’s a 365, 24/7 fight.”
15. “It’s not the last part, it’s only the start.”
