August 3, 2010
Q&A: Does anyone have any personal experiences with someone who has “Cerebral Palsy”?
Question by McLovin: Does anyone have any personal experiences with someone who has “Cerebral Palsy”?
What do you know about it? How does it effect that person’s everyday activities? How does it effect their social life? How severe is this person’s condition?
Best answer:
Answer by sunnymusicalgirl
I met a friend with CP at camp, but every case is different. She used a wheelchair sometimes, but was able to walk with a walker. She had a helper person with her. She had some problems with speech, but nothing too difficult.
All in all, it depends on each specific case of CP, some cases are more mild or severe than others.
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Filed under Cerebral Palsy by on Aug 3rd, 2010. Comment. 
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Comments on Q&A: Does anyone have any personal experiences with someone who has “Cerebral Palsy”?
My little brother has cerebral palsy. He is my hero, he is the greatest little brother ever and to boot he is even the biggest pain in the ass ever, lol. My brother will be 19 in a few months. He is in a wheelchair, can’t stand or walk on his own, he can with help. He is slow, but I think he is very smart. He goes to normal high school, but he has a helper and he has different homework he does that deals with what ever one else is doing. He LOVES music, anything to do with music, he could hear 5 sec of a song and tell you who sings it, the name, what album, if he has it and when it was made. Like I said he is smart. In a normal day, my mom will get him up and he goes to school from 7 to 3, he then comes home and plays music, watches tv, does homework, normal teenage stuff really. He is a LOVER, loves women and they LOVE him. He is very much a ladies man, he has a girlfriend and two others on the side, lol. When he was younger, his school teachers said that he would need a machine to talk for him and what not, because he couldn’t think for himeselves, they knew NOTHING.. He talks very well, loves to talk. He can spell him name and pretty basic words, 3-letter words, he can write his name and mom and what not, some help needed. He knows his abc’s and he can count to at least 100. He knows most basic things. He will never be able to live on his own, he will always need help, because he wont be able to cook or really completely take care of himself, but he has plenty of family that LOVES him and if anything happens to our mom, my husband and I are more than happy to take him. Like I said, he is the greatest little brother ever…
Some cousin of mine has a pretty severe case. [I don't know her exact relation to me, if any. D:]
She has a motorised wheelchair, and her family lives in an already accessible house. They built ramps and widened doorways and stuff all over the house to make it easier for her to get around. Her speech and motor skills are heavily affected. She stutters a lot, and has a hard time getting words out. She often has to try four or five times. She makes exaggerated gestures with her arms when she talks, I think to try and express herself more. But she’s extremely intelligent; she’s five years younger than me, I think, and she kicks my butt in almost every school subject [especially math].
I don’t really see her often, but she’s a very lively person. She knows that she’s different from everyone else, but she doesn’t let it get to her.
A friend of mine had (passed away last year) CP. Paul (the sufferer had a great life for what issues he had to deal with. His attitude to life was what made his life energetic. he had challenges every day, yet he would not see them as obstacles but rather challenges. He lit up people around him with his great smile, and alot of folks mourn his death.
His speech was mildly affected.
His social life was restricted to outdoor things as he had walking issues.
He had a long term girlfriend but severe medical conditions/personal strain affected that relationship.
He had spastic diplegia (Whole body affected, but the lower extremities affected more than the upper extremities). Most people with spastic diplegia do eventually walk. The gait of a person with spastic diplegia is typically characterized by a crouched gait. Toe walking and flexed knees are common. Hip problems, dislocations, and side effects like strabismus are common. Strabismus is the turning in or out of one eye, commonly called cross – lazy eye, affects three quarters of people with spastic diplegia. This is due to weakness of the muscles that control eye movement. In addition, these individuals are often nearsighted. In many cases the IQ of a person with spastic diplegia is normal (description from wiki)
The young man I know is a very severe case with several other conditions as well. His speech is very difficult to understand and he is confined to a motorized wheelchair. He is unable to eat much and is tube fed three times a day.
But….
He is the most loving, sweet person. He is always smiling. He is really intelligent and has a sharp sense of humour. And once people get past the whole wheelchair thing, they really like him. He has a computer to help him speak and that helps. My kids love him to death, but they exhaust him (heck they exhaust me!) and so he is only able to take so much of them.
I actually feel like my life is richer because I know this guy.