A doctor in St. Louis is not only offering hope to her cerebral palsy patients, but empathy as well. Dr. Jan Brunstrom-Hernandez founded the Cerebral Palsy Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital 15 years ago, she also has cerebral palsy. Dr. Brunstrom-Hernandez says she was inspired at an early age to become a doctor because she was surrounded by them all the time as a child. However, she initially had no desire to treat people with cerebral palsy. She said her hesitation was due to the fact that she did not want to be around people that reminded her of her own condition.
She was prompted to begin a clinic in 1997 after a fellow colleague, Dr. Mike Noetzel, also at the St. Louis Children’s Hospital, suggested she start one. She said she was doing research on cerebral palsy when she realized treatment had not progressed much since her diagnosis in the 1960s. She then started her clinic in 1998.
Cerebral palsy is a broad term used to describe disorders that affect movement and posture. It is caused by abnormal development of the brain or a brain injury sustained during or before birth. If you or someone you know has been affected by cerebral palsy, and you suspect that it may be due to a doctor or hospital staff’s negligence, contact our birth trauma lawyer today at (800) 460-0606 for a free consultation.
[Did you Know: The most common type of cerebral palsy is spastic cerebral palsy. It affects close to 80 percent of those diagnosed.]
Coppolino Dodd Krebs LLP – Cerebral Palsy Attorneys
