Ways To Support Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month
Due to abnormalities in brain development or a traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy affects over 750,000 people in the US. This includes both children and adults that experience at least one symptom. Each year, about 10,000 babies are born with cerebral palsy.
March is Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month. There are four different types of CP to be aware of. Understanding these differences will help you gain a better understanding of the various ways in which people are affected by cerebral palsy. Knowing the types of CP and ways to celebrate Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month will allow you to better understand and support this community.
Ways to Support
Understand the Disorder
A great way to celebrate people with cerebral palsy and their loved ones is to understand the different types of cerebral palsy and the symptoms associated with each. Key terminology to become familiar with include Spastic Cerebral Palsy, Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy, Ataxic Cerebral Palsy, and Mixed Cerebral Palsy.
Donate
One way to show support and help fund research is to donate to the Cerebral Palsy Foundation. Not only does this foundation aim to transform the lives of people with CP by continuing research, but it also strives to come up with innovations that can aid people with this disorder. Additionally, the Cerebral Palsy Foundation helps to supply information on how to care for a child with cerebral palsy and ways to help them be successful throughout their lives.
Join Advocacy Group
Whether online or in-person, there are many groups you can join to advocate for those with CP. Some groups are specifically geared toward the individual with CP or while others branch out to include families and others who rally around them. Joining an advocacy group is a great way to celebrate and support.
Share Online
Sharing photos, stories, and tips online can help connect communities and tell individual stories of life with cerebral palsy. Celebrating the lives of people with the different types of CP is essential.
Use #GoGreen4CP
When possible, use the hashtag #GoGreen4CP to prompt more people to see your posts and click the accompanying link. Using this hashtag promotes awareness and helps further unite this community. Many people outside this community have very little knowledge of cerebral palsy and the way it impacts people. Including this hashtag helps further expand our society’s knowledge of cerebral palsy.
Wear Green
Seeing people wear green in March is nothing new, but how about wearing it to support something other than a holiday that’s spent consuming frothy green beverages? During Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, supporters rally by wearing green shirts, jewelry, and even face paint to signify solidarity and support.
These ways to celebrate Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month give this disorder a national voice. By making strides toward sharing experiences and giving this organization and its members a voice and platform, this global event is able to achieve greatness.
