It is estimated that almost 800,000 people in the United States alone have cerebral palsy. Symptoms can be mild to severe and debilitating. The United Cerebral Palsy Association was formed to help parents and their cerebral palsy child lead healthier, happier lives. They typically can do this by hosting charity events to raise cash in order to help parents pay for medical treatments, therapies and medications that their children need. Therapy alone can be very expensive. If you are a parent who is struggling to provide care for your child, then you can seek help through the UCP.
In the late forties, Leonard Goldenson, who was then president of United Paramount Theaters, and his wife Isabelle, collaborated with Jack and Ethel Hausman to locate people interested in helping them expand the network of support services available for their disabled children. They placed an ad in the New York Times to call together others who were interested in helping expand the services offered to kids with cerebral palsy. Very quickly they expanded, with the help of partnerships and generous donors; opening offices all around the United States. Today, United Cerebral Palsy is one of the largest charities geared towards health in America.
Scooters, wheelchairs and hand controls can increase the mobility and improve the quality of activities of daily living for the child with cerebral palsy. Exercise machines and easels can also improve the quality of life for these children; allowing them to explore their interests in a more meaningful way. There are products and services available to assist caregivers as well. Whether it’s grab bars near the toilet, an automatic lift for the bathtub or computer software that aids in communication, technology is changing the way parents and their afflicted children interact in wonderful ways.
UCP also has a research foundation that seeks new treatment options and preventative methods. For more than fifty years, the foundation has looked at how German measles and maternal-child blood type incompatibility (Rh factor) have contributed to the cause of this disability. Currently, there is research going on regarding the role that low birth weight, premature birth and maternal infections affect the brain of a fetus. Through scientific research, they hope to discover ways to replace brain cells that have been lost in fetuses and allow for a more normal development through early treatment.
Don’t forget that joining the United Cerebral Palsy Association or any other cerebral palsy organization for that matter is voluntary. There should be no pressure about whether you should join or not. If you believe you can cope with your child’s illness on your own financially as well as emotionally, then there is no real need to join UCP. However, if you do need the financial and psychological cerebral palsy support in dealing with an afflicted child, then you can always turn to UCP. They are happy to give you the extra hand you need.
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