Tag Archives: cerebral palsy
Cerebral Palsy Athletes Smash Records at Paralympics
Cheers, tears and jeers filled the stadium throughout the London 2012 Summer Paralympics, a major sporting event for disabled athletes following the 2012 Summer Olympics. After the Summer Olympics, the Paralympics were the largest multi-sport event that London ever hosted. There were many inspiring success stories, including Josef Craig, a swimmer with cerebral palsy who broke his own world record for the 400-meter freestyle. At 15, he also became Britain’s youngest gold medalist in the games’ history. Or Bethany Woodward, another British athlete with cerebral palsy, who claimed the silver in the 200 meter sprint. She said that runners with cerebral palsies face many obstacles. “It’s extremely difficult,” Woodward said. “Your body’s doing one thing and your brain’s trying to tell you to do another. It’s like a brick wall that you have to break through to get it done.” In one uncomfortable moment, Chancellor George Osborne received boos from…
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Posted in Cerebral Palsy Tagged 2012 summer olympics, bethany woodward, cerebral palsy, chancellor george osborne, josef craig, london 2012 summer paralympics Comments Off on Cerebral Palsy Athletes Smash Records at Paralympics
Nerve Procedure Offers Hope for Children with Cerebral Palsy
The above video features Christian Izquierdo, a 16-year-old from Florida. When he was eight months old, he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Activities like running and jumping seemed forever out-of- reach – until a doctor in St. Louis changed his life. Thanks to a procedure called a selective dorsal rhizotomy, Christian can run and jump. Doctors have also noticed an improvement in his speech. A New Life Dr. T. S. Park has performed the procedure on nearly 2,400 children with cerebral palsy. Search for the surgery on YouTube and you will find several videos of children running and walking after the operation – many of them performed by Dr. Park. The surgery is not cheap – Christian’s cost nearly $32,000, and it is not covered by most out-of-state insurance companies. His family set up a website called Christian’s Crusade to raise money. The Procedure Many parents agree that the selective…
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Posted in Cerebral Palsy Tagged cerebral palsy, cerebral palsy lawyers, selective dorsal rhizotomy, spastic cerebral palsy Comments Off on Nerve Procedure Offers Hope for Children with Cerebral Palsy
How Jaundice Led to Cerebral Palsy
Earlier this week we wrote about “The House of Gort,” a 16-minute documentary that features a family with special needs children. All three children were born with jaundice due to their parents’ incompatible blood type, and medical errors caused one daughter to develop cerebral palsy. What is Jaundice? Jaundice occurs when the body fails to expel bilirubin, a waste chemical produced by a reaction inside the liver. It is very common in newborns; the Children’s Liver Disease Foundation says that 90 percent of newborns experience some degree of jaundice in the first few days following birth. Jaundice occurs because the baby must start using its liver for the first time. Until birth, the placenta does the liver’s job. Jaundice Treatments Doctors commonly use a light treatment called phototherapy to balance out the bilirubin. Most babies respond positively to the treatment. Gina, the mother in the film, says phototherapy was effective…
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Posted in Birth Trauma Tagged bilirubin, birth trauma lawyer, brain damage, cerebral palsy, exchange transfusion, jaundice, the house of gort Comments Off on How Jaundice Led to Cerebral Palsy
