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Politician and social activist Priya Dutt lends support to the awareness
initiative to emphasize that children with Cerebral Palsy Have A Right to
Normal Lives
A motor disorder that makes movement and conversation difficult,
Cerebral Palsy afflicts millions of children across the world. Being different
from the majority, children born with Cerebral Palsy often find it difficult to
adapt to their everyday environment. However, they are no different than other
children in their desires, their thoughts and their aspirations.
Able Disabled All People Together (ADAPT), a
leading NGO working in the field, formerly known as Spastics Society of India, used the World Cerebral Palsy Day to
initiate an awareness-cum-sensitisation drive for children with Cerebral Palsy,
and celebrate the special achievements made by people with Cerebral Palsy who
have defied physical challenges to make a mark for themselves in different
areas.
At a
programme to showcase the talents of special children and encourage their
engagement and interaction with society, a number of children with Cerebral
Palsy and their parents were joined by social activists and medical experts of
the field. The programme was supported by Allergan India, the makers of Onabotulinum
toxin type A, popularly known as Botox, a drug often used to manage upper limb
spasticity in people with Cerebral Palsy.
Congress leader Priya Dutt, who is also known
for her involvement with social causes, also lent her support to the cause by
joining the initiative and encouraging the special children to lead productive
lives.
At the event, ‘Achievement
Awards’ were presented to people with Cerebral Palsy who have made remarkable
achievements in their respective fields despite their physical challenges. Dr
Mithu Alur, Founding Chairperson of ADAPT was also present on the
occasion. The awards were given
out in the fields of academics, corporate employment, social activism,
entrepreneurship, arts and
humanities, etc.
Cerebral Palsy is the most common physical disability in
childhood and its impact can range from a weakness in one hand, to almost a
complete lack of voluntary movement. Across the world, there are as many as 17
million people living with Cerebral Palsy.
“We need to understand that while Cerebral Palsy cannot be
cured, there are mechanisms available today to manage it and make lives livable
for its victims. It’s a matter of concern that a large number of kids with
Cerebral Palsy do not get the required medical attention because there is
little awareness, and even taboo, associated with this disorder. A concerted effort is needed to make sure
therapy and rehabilitation processes reach all affected people to help them
improve their quality of lives. For example, in people with debilitating upper
limb spasticity incessant muscle contractions can be controlled by injecting
onabotulinumtoxin A popularly known as Botox into the affected muscles, in
addition to physical therapy and other rehabilitation measures. This is of
immense help,” says Mr Raghu Kumar,
Managing Director of Allergan India.
Children born with CP do not exercise normal control over
their movements, and a majority of them face difficulty in talking and
communication. However, this does not mean they do not have talents or they do
not desire to excel in whatever they do.
“Our
nervous system is the master control of our body. It is our nervous system that
sends signals to the entire body organs to perform their tasks. It
controls our body and muscle movements through signals, and allows us to
perform our daily actions and reactions normally. Cerebral palsy is a disorder of the nervous
system, in which the normal communication between the mind and the body is
disrupted. When Cerebral (an
area in the brain), is affected by Palsy
or partial or complete muscle paralysis, this affects the human body with rare
and sometimes brutal physical disabilities. The result is loss of control over
muscle movements,” says Dr Taral Nagda, Paediatric Orthopedic Surgeon,
Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai.
At the event, special children participated in a drawing
completion and were asked to draw their heart out at their respective
canvasses. Talk sessions were also held with their parents informing them about
the recourse they can take to make the lives of their children better and more
productive.
“Having Cerebral Palsy is very unfortunate. It makes the
life of the person as well as those around him or her difficult. However, we
need to understand that while these children may be born with a neurological
disorder, this doesn’t make them any less of children. They have desires like
other children, they want to play, they want to draw, sing and dance like
others. Through a little more sensitive approach and training, we can allow
these special kids to live productive lives,” says Dr Nagda.
The most common signs of cerebral palsy are visible during
the first three years of life. If a child starts to crawl, walk or speak much
later than expected, crawls in an unusual way, has abnormal muscle tone, faces
difficulty in feeding & sucking, usually found lying down in an awkward
position, gets startled easily, has bad coordination and balance, hearing
problems, eyesight issues, bladder control problems, has seizures, has
restricted movement or problems in swallowing then the child needs immediate
intervention.
The event also saw the showcasing of trailer of the film
Margarita which revolves around a girl living with cerebral palsy.
