Tag Archives: cerebral palsy
Truck Hits Bus Carrying People with Cerebral Palsy
A Ford F250 truck drifted into oncoming traffic and crashed into a United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) bus head-on. The bus was carrying seven adults with cerebral palsy home from day programs in addition to an assistant and the driver. The accident took three lives: Jeffrey Richard Rivas, 52, the driver of the Ford truck Sara Rae Johnson, 35, an assistant with UCP Laura Sue Weiderholt, 48, who died of broken bones and head trauma “We’ve been here 56 years in this greater Sacramento area, this is the first time we’ve had something this traumatic happen,” said Steve Horton, spokesperson for the UCP. He said that UCP operates several buses that travel up to 4,500 miles a day. “Our entire UCP family is saddened and shocked and trying to do the best thing for everyone involved,” he said. Authorities are still investigating the crash and what caused Rivas to drift into…
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Posted in Cerebral Palsy Tagged cerebral palsy, cerebral palsy attorneys, jeffrey richard rivas, sara rae johnson, United Cerebral Palsy Comments Off on Truck Hits Bus Carrying People with Cerebral Palsy
Iowa Gives Parents $3.75 Million for Cerebral Palsy Birth
Martha Fountain was 20 years old when she went to the University of Iowa hospital to give birth to her son. The medical staff decided to give her Pitocin, a hormone-based drug intended to speed up delivery. Unfortunately, the drug has an adverse effect in some women that causes excessive contractions that can restrict blood flow to the baby’s brain during pregnancy. The medical staff continued to administer Pitocin even after observing “significant trauma” to the baby’s head due to the difficult birth. Fountain was in labor for 28 hours and eventually delivered via cesarean section. Her son, now five years old, suffers from cerebral palsy and other cognitive impairments. She and her husband sued the hospital for negligence that resulted in her child’s condition. The hospital argued that other factors caused the issues. The state of Iowa agreed to a $3.75 million settlement, avoiding a trial in which Fountain…
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Posted in Cerebral Palsy Tagged cerebral palsy, cerebral palsy attorneys, martha fountain, pitocin Comments Off on Iowa Gives Parents $3.75 Million for Cerebral Palsy Birth
‘Breaking Bad’ Shines a Light on Cerebral Palsy
The award-winning AMC drama Breaking Bad is renowned for its brave performances, shocking twists and pitch-black humor. The show has also made advances in how the media portrays people with cerebral palsy. The show centers around Walter White (played by Bryan Cranston), a high school chemistry teacher who turns to methamphetamine production as a last-ditch effort to raise money for his cancer treatment. White’s slow descent into the drug world slowly alienates and terrifies his wife Skyler and his child Walter Jr., who has cerebral palsy. Walter Jr. is played by RJ Mitte, who has cerebral palsy in real life. Mitte said that the show’s attitude towards Walter Jr. – treating him like a regular teenager – was refreshing. “When a person with a disability is featured, it’s usually a stereotype – the angry person, the victim or the helpless person who becomes a hero,” Mitte said in an interview…
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Posted in Cerebral Palsy Tagged amc, breaking bad, cerebral palsy, cerebral palsy attorneys, rj mitte Comments Off on ‘Breaking Bad’ Shines a Light on Cerebral Palsy
