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My brother in law has Cerebral Palsy and has been in a wheel chair and needed extra help and care his entire life. He was never expected to leave the hospital as an infant, he's now 54 and needs help to do everyday life things like shower, eat, etc.
He participates in a program called Ability First. They have programs and activities for their clients that focus on achieving or doing things that seem improbable or inaccessible. Even though my brother in law has never walked, because of Ability First he has snow skied, gone camping and experienced many other common activities for you and I that would never be available to him.
My wife and I are doing a charity walk, well 'Stroll and Roll', for him tomorrow (maybe today for some of you just reading this). I would really appreciate anything you are willing to donate.
It's important to know, that anything you donate goes 100% to his center. Nothing is taken for administration or overhead. It's all for new equipment, supplies or activities. It's also 100% tax deductible.
If you would be willing to support us on quest to raise money for his center, please click this link: Long Beach Center: Jim Levesque - AbilityFirst Stroll & Roll 2016
I (we - my tao wife) really appreciate anything you can do.
My prayers are with him and your family.
Since your post - I have spent quite a bit of time looking into CP... especially since it is brain related and I have so much interest in that. (cerebral). Again, I thought this was some mystical type of disease and I have been learning - not only is it not mystical - it is quite similar to stroke. And based upon what I have learned can be significant reduced if the pregnancy is managed properly. We knew so little years ago... so it was much more challenging to identify challenges. Essentially... CP can basically be avoided with proper understanding. We know so much about the brain (today) as compared to 25 years ago.
CP is...
brain damage (infarction) at an early age (from prenatal to toddlerhood) - that effects motor control. The following (one or more) are injured at a younger age:
-motor cortex
-basal ganglia
-cerebellum
Due to: lack of oxygen, mutated development (something passed on) or infection
Infection (at least in stroke patients) is usually from septicemia. This is an infection in the heart and it forms a vegetation usually on the left ventricle wall. A piece breaks off and the body begins to clot around (not recognizing it) and up the aorta it goes. Obviously, this is no good. I think this may be an infection that is being referred to. Fetus development should be critically high on young couples' minds.
I will donate to help.
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Taken from a medical site: A stroke is a "brain attack". It can happen to anyone at any time. It occurs when blood flow to an area of brain is cut off. When this happens, brain cells are deprived of oxygen and begin to die. When brain cells die during a stroke, abilities controlled by that area of the brain such as memory and muscle control are lost.
How a person is affected by their stroke depends on where the stroke occurs in the brain and how much the brain is damaged. For example, someone who had a small stroke may only have minor problems such as temporary weakness of an arm or leg. People who have larger strokes may be permanently paralyzed on one side of their body or lose their ability to speak. Some people recover completely from strokes, but more than 2/3 of survivors will have some type of disability.
If interested, this is decent: