Cerebral Palsy (CP) is considered to be a neurological, non-progressive brain injury that is caused while a child’s brain is still developing. It primarily affects body movement and muscle coordination, but it can also affect muscle tone, posture, and balance, as well as gross motor, and fine motor skills (kinds of hand movements, and grasp, for example). The entry to the brain is most often caused before birth, during labor, or immediately after a child is born.

Cerebral Palsy affects every person differently. The person with CP will most likely show signs of physical impairment, but the severity to which the body is affected varies from one individual to another. It can affect the arms, the legs or even the face, and mouth. The way muscles contract is greatly impacted — they can contract too much, too little, or all at the same time causing tightness, or the muscles to be too flaccid, as well as causing weakness. The neural pathways of a person’s brain who has Cerebral Palsy do not fire in the same way as a fully able-bodied individual.

There are nine different variations of Cerebral Palsy:

• Spastic Diplegia or Hemiplegia: Diplegia meaning that it affects two on two different sides of the body, hemiplegia means that it affects two limbs on the same side of the body. These are the two most common forms of Cerebral Palsy.
• Monoplegia: When one arm or leg is affected
• Quadriplegia: when both arms and legs are affected. Often times, the trunk and the muscles that control the mouth, tongue, and windpipe are affected as well.
• Triplegia: When three lens are significantly affected
• Dyskinetic: When muscle tone in the body fluctuates between being too loose and too tight.
• Athetoid (Hyperkinetic): When the muscles in the body are too relaxed, or too limp.
• Dystonic: When the body and neck stay in a stiff position.
• Ataxic: this is the rarest form of cerebral palsy that involves the entire body. It causes irregular body movement in the trunk, arms, legs, and hands

The month of March is recognized as Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month. March 25th, 2013 was the first annual Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day. It is vital to have opportunities to raise awareness so that people will have the opportunity to gain a better understanding. Although I have had Cerebral Palsy for my whole life, my relationship with my Cerebral Palsy, and having a disability, in general, has been a roller coaster ride.

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“Talking to people is important to me as someone who has Cerebral Palsy. I know what it’s like to have people not talking to me because they are scared they would ask the wrong question, but I would rather have an honest dialogue as long as it comes from an honest place.” ~ Zach Anner

Here are 31 facts about Cerebral Palsy

1. Cerebral Palsy affects the portion of your brain that controls your muscles.
2. Cerebral Palsy can impair communication but there are many ways to communicate, not just verbally.
3. About half of the kids with Cerebral Palsy are born prematurely.
4. People with Cerebral Palsy can lead to normal independent lives.
5. Many kids with Cerebral Palsy can, will, & should go to mainstream education.
6. There’s nothing ‘wrong with me,’ I just have Cerebral Palsy.
7. Cerebral Palsy is the most common childhood disability.
8. Cerebral Palsy affects about 17 million people globally
9. Every case of Cerebral Palsy is as unique as the person who has it.
10. Cerebral Palsy can affect all limbs or just some of them.
11. People with Cerebral Palsy do not want sympathy, they want opportunities.
12. Cerebral Palsy is not a sickness or disease. No one can catch it, or reverse cerebral palsy. It is a brain injury. The injury is usually caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain before or after birth.
13. No two people have Cerebral Palsy the same way. Limitations associated with the condition vary by brain injury location and intensity of the injury.
14. Some people will also experience vision, hearing, and attention or cognitive difficulties. However, everyone is different– a person with Cerebral Palsy can have heightened hearing, vision, and attention.
15. Cerebral Palsy affects the way the muscles move and respond. Think of a computer that is not working as it should. You hit the right button, but sometimes it just doesn’t respond. A person with Cerebral Palsy can send a message to the brain, but the muscles do not always get the correct message.
16. A child with Cerebral Palsy is still a child. They all need love, guidance, support, play, creativity, and rules. They don’t need pity or extra-special treatment just because they require assistance.
17. Physical, occupational, speech, and aquatic therapies are excellent for people with Cerebral Palsy. They help strengthen muscles and train them to do better at what a person with Cerebral Palsy asks them to do.
18. People who have Cerebral Palsy usually want to work, but employers are often reluctant to hire them. People with Cerebral Palsy can have occupations, make money and provide for their families.
19. Women and men with Cerebral Palsy can have children, and women can have normal pregnancies. Cerebral Palsy is not genetic, so it doesn’t affect an unborn baby.
20. The life expectancy of someone with Cerebral Palsy is normal.
21. There is no cure for Cerebral Palsy, but medications and surgeries may ease the stiffness and involuntary movements of muscles associated with the condition.
22. People who have Cerebral Palsy are unique individuals with varying interests, gifts, personalities, opinions, relationships, and lives. They are like anyone else but have a few more challenges than most.
23. 1 in every 500 babies is diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy.
24. Two-thirds of kids with Cerebral Palsy can walk.
25. 4 in 5 kids with Cerebral Palsy can talk.
26. Only 1 in 10 kids with Cerebral Palsy have severe visual issues.
27. One child every hour is diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy.
28. 3 in 4 people experience recurring pain as a result of Cerebral Palsy.
29. Please do not assume things about a person with Cerebral Palsy, or any other disability. If you have questions, please ask in order to better understand.
30. While some days are harder than others, I can certainly say that Cerebral Palsy makes me who I am. I have the opportunity to see the world from a different perspective. We all have our own challenges, and you have given me the opportunity to teach others what overcoming challenges look like. I have been given the tools to be more open-minded, compassionate, perseverance, and knowledge to continue to learn and grow.
31. When you find that sense of fulfillment in doing something that you love, whatever that looks like for you to continue to fill your cup and find a sense of purpose. Everyone goes through hills and valleys, periods of time things are not going exactly as you had planned or might have envisioned. We are often our own toughest critic. As hard as it may be at times continue to keep pushing forward because the road may get rocky, there are always different paths to get to your desired goal. Do not be afraid to think outside of the box.