(BPT) –
New Educational Initiative to Support Families of Children With Cerebral Palsy, Launched by “Reaching for the Stars. A Foundation of Hope for Children with Cerebral Palsy”
About 10,000 children born annually in the United States will develop Cerebral Palsy.1
Cerebral Palsy (CP) is the most common cause of motor disability in children in the United States, affecting an average of one in 323 children.2
Cerebral Palsy affects the part of the brain that controls muscle movements and therefore may permanently affect body movement, muscle coordination and balance.3 Symptoms of CP vary greatly from person to person and, although the condition does not get worse over time, its symptoms may change over a person’s lifetime.3
Children with CP typically experience difficulties with movement and posture due to abnormal muscle tone4, and many of them have the symptom of lower limb spasticity — stiff or tight muscles and exaggerated reflexes.4
Blazing New Trails™, a new educational initiative that launched in March to honor National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, will bring information and support to families impacted by CP. The goal of the program is to educate patients with CP and their families about the latest updates in overall management, physical and occupational therapies, and adaptive technologies that may help children living with CP and lower limb spasticity.
“We know firsthand the difficulties patients and families affected by Cerebral Palsy go through, and having the ability to learn from many resources in one place, while also connecting with others in the community who are going through the same journey, is empowering,” said Cynthia Frisina, Founder of “Reaching for the Stars. A Foundation of Hope for Children with Cerebral Palsy” and Executive Director of BlazeSports America. “We look forward to bringing Blazing New Trails™ to families of children impacted by Cerebral Palsy while sharing the helpful resources developed specifically for those living with a Cerebral Palsy diagnosis and its many challenges.”
Blazing New Trails™ includes multiple live Town Hall events that will each feature a multi-disciplinary panel discussion with local care team members, highlighting the latest updates in care of children with CP, as well as an opportunity to ask questions, visit information tables from sponsors and mingle with other attendees.
Additionally, Reaching for the Stars has launched a new educational video series that has been developed specifically for CPTV to provide information and resources nationwide. CPTV is a free ‘on-demand’ channel with videos on CP education and resources and is available on Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire.
Blazing New Trails™ is presented by Reaching for the Stars, in collaboration with nonprofit organization BlazeSports America, with sponsorship by Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.
To learn more about Blazing New Trails™, visit www.reachingforthestars.org/blazingnewtrails.
References:
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Gateway to Health Communication & Social Marketing Practice – Cerebral Palsy. http://www.cdc.gov/healthcommunication/toolstemplates/entertainmented/tips/cerebralpalsy.html. Accessed July 22, 2016.
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Data & Statistics for Cerebral Palsy. http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/cp/data.html. Accessed July 12, 2016.
3. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. NINDS Cerebral Palsy Information Page. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/cerebral_palsy/cerebral_palsy.htm#What_is. Accessed May 4, 2016.
4. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Cerebral Palsy: Hope Through Research. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/cerebral_palsy/detail_cerebral_palsy.htm#3104_2. Accessed June 14, 2016.
Blazing New Trails is a trademark of BlazeSports America, Inc.
