Stepping Up, Pushing Limits, and Breaking Down Barriers
Nobody ever asks to become disabled, they just have to figure out how to survive and grow through it! The Cerebral Palsy Awareness Research Foundation is important to me because my youngest daughter, Jaidyn, was born with CP, and officially diagnosed in 2021 with mild CP.
The journey starting at infancy was not an easy journey, but it was good to know early on to start prevention to give her the best possible chance she could have.
When she was 3 months old I was told she would have a 50/50 chance of walking without assistance based on her assessment results. I went home and researched everything I could to find out how I could change it. I didn’t want her to have to go through everything that came with it.
We spent hours doing speech therapy and physical therapy at home on our own, as well as in her sessions with her speech pathologist and physical therapist, not to mention the hours spent going back and forth to the hospital for her check ups to assess her progress!
The first year and a half was not an easy journey, but it was one that if I had to do it all over again for her I would!
Although she ended up having a diagnosis of mild CP at her 2.5 year check up still, even with the work put in, she was able to walk without assistance and beat the odds!
Awareness leads to preventative measures being able to be taken to give the best outcomes possible!
Disabilities aren’t a bad thing, they are just a part of life sometimes, and they aren’t really disabilities, but special abilities!
Jaidyn taught our family it was okay to slow down. She taught us to have more patience. She taught us to see things from another perspective and that everything could still be okay!
As a single parent and mom of 4, with a very little support system, it was not the easiest job! But again, if need be I would do it a thousand times over for her!
Disability is a natural part of the human experience, and it touches more lives than you might realize. In the US, more than 61 million adults — that’s 1 in 4 of us — report having at least one disability. That means millions of our friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors face barriers that affect their independence, health, education, careers, and ability to live the lives they envision for themselves.
That’s where CPARF comes in. People with kinds of disabilities have an urgent need for innovative solutions that can bridge gaps across every part of life, helping everyone participate vibrantly in their communities and pursue their dreams.
A stroke survivor wants to bake but can’t hold her utensils or steadily pour from measuring cups. A young man who can’t use his hands wants to use programs on his computer to connect with friends and apply for jobs. A blind person wants to safely walk to their destination.
Assistive tech supported by CPARF makes it happen, expanding access to cutting edges devices and services that help disabled people, folks with chronic conditions, and aging adults. Assistive tech helps people with mobility, communication, visual, hearing, learning, and other disabilities engage more in daily life and maintain or reclaim dignity.
Please make a donation to support this work. Your gift is more than an act of generosity. It’s a powerful investment that changes lives.
Together, we can help build a more inclusive and accessible world for everyone.
Thank you to our supporters
