“I am sorry Mr. and Mrs Rockett, we have to pull the plug on your son.” Those were the words that the Doctors said to my parents on no fewer then five occasions twenty-one years ago. That was not acceptable for them and they refused. The Doctors tried one more thing. Miraculously, my vital signs started to incrementally improve., so much so that after three months in an incubator, I was able to go home. I had come back from deaths door but had to pay a comparatively small price. After noticing that I was not progressing as a “normal” toddler should, I was diagnosed with a neurological disorder known as Cerebral Palsy.

What is Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral Palsy is caused by by abnormalities in the parts of the brain that control muscle movement. In my case, the main cause of the abnormalities was due to the fact that I was born three months premature and had a severe lack of oxygen get to my brain which caused bleeding on both sides of my brain. As a result of this bleeding scar tissue built up and therefore the signals that my brain sends my muscles are blocked and my muscles cannot perform their desired functions.

http://news.wustl.edu/news/PublishingImages/CPBrainProtector.jpg. The brain of someone with Cerebral Palsy. The red circle is surrounding the scar tissue, which is what causes brain signals to be blocked,

Signs of Cerebral Palsy

Decreased muscle tone or overly rigid muscles
Muscle spasms
Involuntary crossing of the legs
Trouble walking, talking, rolling over
Unable to sit without using both hand for support
Bad Motor Skills

Cerebral Palsy Statistics

Cerebral Palsy is evident in most children between the ages of 12-18 months. (In my case, my parents noticed something was wrong at 13 months)
There are currently 17 million people worldwide who have Cerebral Palsy
One out of every 1500 babies is born with Cerebral Palsy
One out of every 3 babies born with Cerebral Palsy cannot walk
1 out of every 5 babies born with Cerebral Palsy cannot talk
There are six types of Cerebral Palsy(I have the type called “Spastic quadriplegic”, which means that all four of my limbs are somewhat disabled, especially my right hand, and my muscles are extremely stiff.

A child with Spastic Cerebral Palsy.

The child is exhibiting some classic signs of Spastic Cerebral Palsy: Low muscle mass, floppy looking, and he cannot hold himself up without being assisted.

Hopefully after reading this blog, my readers will come away with some knowledge of Cerebral Palsy but they will also realize that even though, I was born with this disability, people with disabilities, including myself, have extremely fulfilling lives. It is not all doom and gloom. Hopefully, after reading this blog, the next time you see me, or anyone with a disability for that matter, instead of thinking how bad their life must be you just smile and give them a wave.

picture of guy in wheelchair proving that despite his disability, he doesn’t let it stop him from living life

This picture of the guy in wheelchair is so I can illustrate that even being in a wheelchair cannot stop someone from doing amazing things.

Guy in wheelchair with no legs finishing a race.

Even when facing adversity, this guy didn’t let anything stand in the way of his goals.