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cp awareness

Raising a child with cerebral palsy (CP) comes with unique challenges and triumphs. In this Q&A, Declan’s mom, Kianna, shares her family’s journey—from navigating his diagnosis to finding the right care team at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware. She reflects on the impact of CP on their daily lives, the importance of expert support, and how Dr. Shrader and the CP team have given them hope for Declan’s future. What is the most challenging part of the day for Declan? Declan’s biggest day-to-day challenge is working around his mind-body interactions. He is a very active kid and loves to play games at recess with his friends, but his legs don’t always cooperate. He has always been able to find a way to adjust, but his competitive spirit means he gets frustrated with the limitations CP places on him. What is Declan’s favorite part of the day? Declan’s favorite part of the […]

Eloise, a dynamic and determined young girl, received a diagnosis of cerebral palsy just before her second birthday.  After Eloise celebrated her first birthday, her parents assumed she would start walking soon, but as each month passed by, despite their initial hopes and patience, Eloise had still not taken her first steps.  Her parents recall the pivotal moment when, at 18 months, Eloise was referred by her primary care physician for evaluations and specialized care. Their journey led them to Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware where Eloise underwent a series of comprehensive evaluations, including MRI, EKG, and X-rays. While the test results appeared normal, Eloise was diagnosed with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy due to her muscle spasticity and gait difficulties.  Eloise’s family learned to their surprise that in a majority of cases, the specific cause of cerebral palsy is unknown.  Eloise took her first steps shortly before her 2nd birthday, albeit […]

Annika’s path to a cerebral palsy diagnosis began at a young age. Born prematurely at 29 weeks and five days, Annika’s mother, Jessica, noticed subtle differences in her development around six months. When Annika’s twin began reaching certain milestones, such as rolling over, ahead of her, Annika’s family became concerned. “That was my first clue that something was not exactly typical,” says Jessica. “I mentioned it to her local pediatrician; however, Annika did a lot of other things typical and well, so she didn’t seem worried. I just knew deep down that something was off, and asked if, based on her prematurity, she could qualify for early childhood physical therapy. Annika began her first physical therapy when she was 7 months old.” Jessica’s persistence led Annika to early intervention therapies, and when Annika was 11 months old, she asked that the pediatrician refer her to a local pediatric neurologist. Despite […]

During the first trimester of her pregnancy, Christine Miller learned her son, Logan, was diagnosed with congenital cytomegalovirus infection (CCMV). Christine was told that her son was dying in utero and would likely not survive the birth. Since the CCMV diagnosis, the Miller family has been in constant contact with the infectious disease department at Nemours Children’s Health. At 32 weeks pregnant, Christine underwent an emergency C-section and Logan was born, weighing just 3 pounds. Immediately following birth, multiple calcifications were discovered on Logan’s brain. At this time, Logan was also diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. Fast forward 18 years, Logan and the Miller family still have a very close relationship with Nemours. In 2021, Logan had his first appointment with Dr. Shrader (Dr. Dabney followed Logan since birth). At first, Dr. Shrader was very pleased with Logan’s movement and progress from his previous hip surgeries. “But after talking with him […]