Avala tower in green on Tuesday, October 6
Belgrade – As a sign of World Cerebral Palsy Day on October 6, the Aval Tower, the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, the Palace of Albania, the Ada Bridge, the Brankov Bridge and other landmarks of Belgrade will light up in green.
This year’s campaign called “Millions of Reasons” draws attention to children and people with cerebral palsy who live almost the same lives, or at least similar, as all other children and people, but in their specific way and according to their possibilities.
Cerebral palsy is one of the least understood disabilities, and people with cerebral palsy are often out of sight, out of thought and unable to reach their potential in communities around the world. World Cerebral Palsy Day under the slogan “Millions of reasons” brings together millions of people worldwide living with cerebral palsy, their families, supporters and organizations in more than 75 countries. Millions of people and millions of reasons to ensure for them a future in which children and adults with cerebral palsy will have the same rights, access and opportunities as other children so that all together, at one point, will be included in society and contribute to the community, each in your own way and as much as possible.
– Cerebral palsy is insufficiently known in our society, and that is why we draw attention to the many myths associated with it. Cerebral palsy is not an infectious disease, but a state and form of disability that a person is in throughout his life – from birth to full life. Although people with cerebral palsy sometimes have difficulty speaking or moving, they are usually without intellectual disabilities. Then there are also a large number of above-average intelligence. Even when they are in a material situation, children and adults state that their biggest problems are socialization and non-acceptance by society, says Nikola Čulić from the Regional Alliance for Cerebral Palsy.
PHOTO: Regional Alliance for Cerebral Palsy
People with cerebral palsy are special and due to their specific needs, they are generally financially disadvantaged because the aids and treatments that make life easier for them are extremely expensive. Treatments are necessary throughout life, and are often accompanied by expensive medical procedures that are not covered by our health care system. In our country, most of the children we treat with text messages have cerebral palsy, and money is spent on expensive treatments and operations in the country and abroad. Money is also needed for the improvement of hospital capacities, modernization of treatment, but also for the constant professional development of the medical staff.
Paralisis cerebralis
Cerebral palsy is caused by improper development of part of the brain or damage to the parts of the brain that control movement and is a unique brain disorder that differs in each affected person. Signs of cerebral palsy usually appear in the first months of life, although a specific diagnosis may be delayed until age two or later. Babies with CP often have developmental delays, where they are slow to achieve developmental milestones such as learning to roll over, sit up, crawl or walk. Some babies with CP have problems with muscle tone. Reduced muscle tone (hypotonia) makes the muscles relaxed, even limp. Increased muscle tone (hypertonia) makes muscles tight or stiff. In some cases, the early period of hypotonia will progress to hypertonia after the first 2 to 3 months of life.
The Regional Alliance for Cerebral Palsy is a partner organization of Australia’s World CP Day, which organizes this event worldwide. Many associations in the country and region have joined our “Millions of Reasons” campaign and together with us highlight the reasons why we need to change the world in order to achieve the lofty goals of substantive equality for all those with cerebral palsy.
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