Cerebral Palsy is coined from the combination of two words “cerebral” which means pertaining to the brain and “palsy” which means weakness or problems using muscles. Therefore Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that affects a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture. CP is caused by the abnormal brain development or damage to a developing brain.
Cerebral Palsy has got different types ranging from the areas of the brain affected. The four main types include:
Spasity (stiff muscles) – this is the most common type that affects about 80% of people with CP. People with spastic CP has stiff muscles and as a result, their movements can be awkward. This stiffness can be in the legs, one side of a person’s body or all four limbs, the trunk and the face (which is the worst). People with spastic CP often have other developmental disabilities like intellectual disability, seizures, and problems with speech, vision or hearing.
Dyskinetic CP – people with this kind of cerebral palsy have problems controlling the movement of their hands, arms, feet and legs making it difficult to sit and walk. Sometimes the face and the tongue are affected and the person has a hard time sucking, swallowing and talking. Their muscle tones vary from day to day or hours to hours.
Ataxic Cerebral Palsy – an individual with Ataxic CP have problems with balance and coordination. They might be unsteady when they walk. They have a hard time with quick movement or movements that needs a lot of control like writing
Mixed CP – some people have multiple symptoms of more that one type of cerebral palsy. The most common combination is spatic and dyskinetic CP.
Signs of Cerebral Palsy
The signs of Cerebral palsy start to show when a baby is six months old or younger. You’d see that the head of the child lags when you pick him up while he’s lying in his back, he feels stiff, floppy, when held in the arms, the child seem to overextend his back and neck constantly.
In a baby older than 10 months of age; he/she crawls in a lopsided manner, pushing off with one hand and leg while dragging the opposite hand and leg.
Causes of Cerebral palsy
Although a specific cause is not known at this moment but it is also said that lack of oxygen during birth process might also be one of the causative factors. Cerebral palsy is a lifelong disorder.
Uchenna was born with Cerebral Palsy. Her older siblings were just fine having no issues at all but she was different. Her parent’s didn’t discover she had the disorder at the initial stage but they started to see the signs when at 1 she could not walk and was crawling some kind of way and made strange speech sounds according to them. After series of medical consultations, they discovered Uchenna had the disorder and was told that it can only be managed and never be cured. Her parents were pained when they thought about the life challenges that their beautiful daughter will have go through but they swore to give her the very best that can.
Uchenna’s siblings never treated her any different. Their mother ensured that they treated her equally and that love existed amongst them. Uchenna went through Nursery, Primary and Secondary school. When she was 16, it dawned on her that life for her is different. She never had a boyfriend like her friends did; she heard stories that a disable person cannot get married or have children which means she’ll never have the opportunity to blush and have butterflies in her tummy just like what she sees in the movies. This really got to her emotionally and she slipped into depression. Her family was ever supportive during these times and they ensured she furthered her education into the university. Despite the mockery, pressure and inferiority complex, Uchenna was able to scale through and graduate with a first class degree in Special Education. While doing her 1 year compulsory service to the government NYSC, she met a cute guy who showed interest in her. She was so elated when he asked her out. It was a dream come through for her. She did all she could to please him and make him happy only for her to be ghosted after the end of the service year.
The happy Uchenna became a shadow of herself. She wouldn’t eat or do anything useful. At a point she felt like ending her own life after all there’s nothing to offer. She got a job at that moment which was the beginning of a turnaround in her life. She began to see that she was wrong and had a lot to offer to the world. She discovered that it’s in her place to create the kind of life that she deserves and she doesn’t have to lean or depend on anyone to do that. She accepted herself for who she is. She became a form of reference to other persons with cerebral palsy. She travelled to many different countries to share her experience. There’s so much to life than she thought. In her words “if a man comes along, great, if there isn’t great. I am alive, satisfied and am enjoying my life. My disability gave rise to so many hidden abilities”
No matter what we go through, let’s be optimistic about life. Let’s try to look at the good side and have faith that things will be better. Who knows that challenge might be prompting us to an ability or idea that will change our lives for the better
Uchenna is 35 today. Let’s say a happy birthday to her.
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