Celebrity footballer helps raise awareness of cerebral palsy
BBC News has reported on the benefits of high profile celebrity footballer Phil Neville in helping to raise awareness of cerebral palsy and bring it under the public spotlight.
He has recently spoken out about his daughter Isabella's cerebral palsy and of the challenges and rewards it has brought to his family life. Five years ago, she was born ten weeks prematurely, weighing 3lb 3oz (1kg 445g) and spent her first few weeks fighting for life in a special care baby unit.
Isabella survived, but at 18 months she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy - a disability caused by damage to the brain before or during birth. An MRI scan showed that she had probably suffered a stroke in the womb about six months into the pregnancy. This has affected her movement control and co-ordination.
From these difficult experiences, Phil knows the heartbreak of having to kiss your daughter goodbye every night to return home, which he why is a patron of The New Children's Hospital Appeal. He is helping raise money which will fund state-of-the-art equipment and a family accommodation block. The appeal currently stands at £18m and aims to raise £20m by June 2009, when the hospital opens.
Lucy Norton, a medical negeligence and specialist cerebral palsy lawyer at Boyes Turner said: “Early intervention is vital to aid children with cerebral palsy reach their potential. Unfortunately, the facilities and care available through local authorities and the NHS always outstrips demand. We are able to recover compensation to assist with paying for these facilities where we can prove there was medical negligence either before, during or after the birth. These cases are complex but because of the life long implications they should be investigated on behalf of a child where there are reasons to believe that mistakes were made.
What is cerebral palsy?
- Cerebral palsy is a physical condition that affects movement. It is not a disease or an illness.
- There are several causes, although the most common is failure of part of the brain to develop - perhaps because a blocked blood vessel or complications.
- It is the most common form of disability in children around one in every 400 babies in Britain are born with it each year. The incidence rate increases to one in 20 for babies with a birth weight under 1500g in labour.
- No two people with cerebral palsy are the same. Some people have cerebral palsy so mildly that its effects are barely noticeable. Other people may be severely affected. Cerebral palsy is not degenerative; it does not become more severe as the child gets older.
- People with more complex forms of cerebral palsy can have a range of impairments including mobility, visual and hearing impairments, learning difficulties, epilepsy and other medical needs. Cerebral palsy is a permanent condition. However, there are various therapies available that can sometimes help alleviate its effects. Physiotherapy can help with posture and movement.
- Speech and language therapy helps with speech development and also eating, drinking and swallowing. Occupational therapy helps children overcome difficulties performing everyday tasks, encouraging them to lead independent lives.
- Children with cerebral palsy do best when they get special help from an early age. Because the brain changes a lot during the first few years of life, it can be difficult to assess the extent of cerebral palsy at first, but most experts suggest babies should be first assessed about nine to 12 months.
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