Cerebral Palsy Essay

Cerebral Palsy (cp) is one of the most common physical disabilities in the United States, defined by its various types, treatment, and legal rights for those with the condition.
The term cerebral palsy (seh-ree-brel pawl-zee) is used to express any of the three or sometimes four types of the disorder. Still, the term itself can be confusing. Cerebral means ‘brain’ while palsy is ‘paralysis.’ As serious as it sounds, it is not a disease. The term refers to brain damage that causes weakness or paralysis of parts of the body such as legs or arms. Cerebral palsy is a non-contagious, non-progressive neuro-muscular disorder that impairs standard muscle control. There were many researchers who took steps to define the condition as early as the 1860s. Over time, it was recognized to have many causes, but in most cases are unknown.
Cerebral palsy has no known official cause; several factors identified in the 1980s suggest that cp can happen before, during or after birth. But the exact cause is unknown in many cases why. Factors include lack of oxygen at birth, Rh incompatibility- where the mother’s own antibodies attack the fetus’s blood cells, jaundice – where yellow colored bile would normally flow in the bloodstream in small sizes, build up, leading blood cells to die and left untreated, brain damage could occur. There are two ways cp can occur, congenital and acquired. Congenital cerebral palsy happens to premature babies born too early – less than nine months or 37 weeks or under 5.5 pounds (low birth weight ) and multiple births such as twins. Cerebral palsy that is acquired after birth occurs when severe illnesses and or accidents can damage the developing brain in the early weeks, months or years of the child’s life. In al...

... middle of paper ...

...e obstacles of acceptance, health, determination, and the historic passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
Even though it is not easy to cope with such disability, many people with CP eventually learn to overcome it again and again in life. Even when Cerebral Palsy can make life difficult sometimes physically, psychologically, socially, it does not define those who have it. Those who have it are people. There are legal rights to protect against discrimination, and treatments to improve physical strength and self-esteem. Many people, even kids can look for inspiration upon actors such as Geri Jewell who boldly faced challenges day to day. And in the end, with support of family and friends, and determination, cerebral palsy, though chronic, can be overcome. It’s like a journey, a quest for the better with guides along the way but twice the obstacles.