It’s World Cerebral Palsy Day
Cerebral Palsy is the most common motor disability of childhood. About 1 in 345 children has been identified with CP according to estimates from CDC. And still, every diagnosis is as unique as the individual.
When I became a mom to my wonderful girl Sofia 12 years ago, the notion that I would hear “your daughter has mild cerebral palsy”, wasn’t on my parenting roadmap. That diagnosis reminded me that we are each our own map makers; exploring new paths and finding new destinations.
As I learned about CP and dug into ways to motivate my girl, I saw there might be a path to celebrate other children with physical differences and support their families as well. It’s a path that led me to launch the not-for-profit WAWOS and WAWOS Canada. Our flagship program, WAWOS Wear, provides creatively-designed walkercapes for free to pediatric therapy clinics, rehab hospitals, and directly to families. These walkercapes showcase a child’s interests and personality and encourage other people to look beyond the device and see the child. Our vision is to give more than just a walkercape — we want to spark conversations, create connections and build community.
You can show your support today by wearing green to celebrate everyone with cerebral palsy who is working hard to be their best selves. Let them know that they’re seen beyond a diagnosis or assistive device!
WAWOS Canada and the work we do is not just for families who have children with disabilities. It’s for everyone who is committed to being a kind human and to raising kind humans. To anyone who recognizes that different doesn’t mean ‘less than’ and all who understand how critical it is that we build a world where I’m encouraged to believe in my child in the same way you’re encouraged to believe in yours. That because my daughter may have to do things differently, doesn’t mean she won’t be able to do them or that she shouldn’t have the opportunity.
Disability is a normal piece of human diversity and your advocacy will help share that message. Go green for CP!
