Beautiful beautiful Avi enjoying a summer day at the beach!!!!!!
Ok...my heart breaks yet again...I see another child lying in a crib with cerebral palsy! Who will want this child? We do ...but we can not adopt any of these precious children at this time...there is a precious little girl in a particular country that we hope and pray to adopt...we have wanted to adopt her since 2010...it is a long story but it is for this precious one that we wait!
The one in this particular country that we want to adopt also has cerebral palsy. All of our daughters you seen in photos on this blog have different types and levels of cerebral palsy/mixed with other special issues.
Please please read and become educated and cry out for these precious children lying in a crib waiting for a Mommy/Daddy to come to pick them up...to hold them...to love them...to help them to learn to move their muscles...to begin to make sounds...to taste food maybe for the first time...to learn to laugh...to learn to hold up their head...to learn to roll over...to learn to sit...to learn to crawl...to learn to walk...to learn to run...to be free and to be loved! OH how my heart aches when I look at these children...I cry...they are desperate...they need someone...but who...BE A VOICE FOR THESE VOICELESS CHILDREN...The children listed in this post have cerebral palsy.
So if you don't want to learn about Cerebral palsy then just skip all the information about what cerebral palsy is and go to the second half of this post and read about the children from Taiwan and Bulgaria that are right now breaking my heart!
Please go to the LIFELINE website and you can see the photos...password is required for Taiwan but email me and I will share the password with you...
To view the Bulgaria children photos just fill out the very short form...your name and email address and you may view the children's photos...that all it takes...then go be a VOICE!!!!
Cerebral
palsy is a broad term that encompasses many different disorders of movement and
posture.
All
children with cerebral palsy have damage to the area of the brain that controls
muscle tone. As a result, they may have increased muscle tone, reduced muscle
tone, or a combination of the two (fluctuating tone). Which parts of their
bodies are affected by the abnormal muscle tone depends upon where the brain
damage occurs.
- Spastic
Cerebral Palsy
(stiff and difficult movement)
With Spastic Cerebral Palsy, the muscles are very stiff, and permanently contracted. Doctors can tell which type of Spastic CP a person has by which limbs are affected. The term PLEGIA, which means paralyzed, or weak, is tacked on the end of each form of Spastic CP. Examples are HemiPLEGIA (one side of the body is affected) and QuadriPLEGIA (all 4 limbs affected). In some people BOTH legs can be affected. They can turn in and cross at the knees. This is called scissoring, and can interfere with their walking ability. Some with Spastic CP may experience hemiparetic tremors. Hemiparetic tremors is uncontrollable shaking, affecting the limbs on only one side of a persons body. Sometimes the tremors are severe, and can affect movement.
- Athetoid
Cerebral Palsy
(involuntary and
uncontrolled movement)
The second type, Athetoid or Dyskinetic CP affects 10-20% of people who have CP. People with Athetoid Cerebral Palsy will have uncontrolled, slow, writhing movements. These movements will often affect the hands, feet, arms, or legs. Sometimes the muscles in a persons face or tongue will be affected, causing drooling. These movements a person with Athetoid CP has, will often increase during stressful times, and will most likely disappear while sleeping. Also, people with this particular type of CP may have problems coordinating muscle movements that are needed for speech. This is called dysarthria.
- Ataxic
Cerebral Palsy
(disturbed sense of balance and depth
perception)
The third type, Ataxic CP only affects 5-10% of people who have CP. This type of CP is very rare, and affects balance and coordination. A person with Ataxic CP may walk unsteady and have a wide step. They could place their feet far apart, and may have difficulty with quick or exact movements, like buttoning a shirt, or writing. Also, they could have "intention tremors." This type of tremor will start with a voluntary movement, for example, reaching a book. This may cause trembling in the body part that is being used. The tremor will get worse as the person gets near that object…in this case, the book.
Mixed Cerebral
PalsyThere may be a combination of
these types of cerebral palsy for any one person. The last type is mixed types. The most common type of mixed types is a mix of Spastic CP and Athetoid CP. But, other combinations are very much possible
Severity LevelCerebral palsy is often classified by severity level as mild, moderate, severe, or no CP. These are broad generalizations that lack a specific set of criteria. Even when doctors agree on the level of severity, the classification provides little specific information, especially when compared to the GMFCS. Still, this method is common and offers a simple method of communicating the scope of impairment, which can be useful when accuracy is not necessary.
- Mild - Mild cerebral palsy means a child can move without assistance; his or her daily activities are not limited.
- Moderate - Moderate cerebral palsy means a child will need braces, medications, and adaptive technology to accomplish daily activities.
- Severe - Severe cerebral palsy means a child will require a wheelchair and will have significant challenges in accomplishing daily activities.
- No CP -No CP means the child has cerebral palsy signs, but the impairment was acquired after completion of brain development and is therefore classified under the incident that caused the cerebral palsy, such as traumatic brain injury or encephalopathy
- Topographical classification describes body parts affected. The words are a combination of phrases combined for one single meaning. When used with Motor Function classification, it provides a description of how and where a child is affected by cerebral palsy. This is useful in ascertaining treatment protocol.
Two terms are at the heart of this classification method.
- Paresis means weakened
- Plegia/Plegic means paralyzed
The prefixes and root words are combined to yield the topographical classifications commonly used in practice today.
- Monoplegia/monoparesis means only one limb is affected. It is believed this may be a form of hemiplegia/hemiparesis where one limb is significantly impaired.
- Diplegia/diparesis usually indicates the legs are affected more than the arms; primarily affects the lower body.
- Hemiplegia/hemiparesis indicates the arm and leg on one side of the body is affected.
- Paraplegia/paraparesis means the lower half of the body, including both legs, are affected.
- Triplegia/triparesis indicates three limbs are affected. This could be both arms and a leg, or both legs and an arm. Or, it could refer to one upper and one lower extremity and the face.
- Double hemiplegia/double hemiparesis indicates all four limbs are involved, but one side of the body is more affected than the other.
- Tetraplegia/tetraparesis indicates that all four limbs are involved, but three limbs are more affected than the fourth.
- Quadriplegia/quadriparesis means that all four limbs are involved.
- Pentaplegia/pentaparesis means all four limbs are involved, with neck and head paralysis often accompanied by eating and breathing complications
Motor Function
The brain injury that causes cerebral palsy affects motor function, the ability to control the body in a desired matter. Two main groupings include spastic and non-spastic. Each has multiple variations and it is possible to have a mixture of both types.
- Spastic cerebral palsy is characterized by increased muscle tone.
- Non-spastic cerebral palsy will exhibit decreased or fluctuating muscle tone.
Motor function classification provides both a description of how a child’s body is affected and the area of the brain injury. Using motor function gives parents, doctors, and therapists a very specific, yet broad, description of a child’s symptoms, which helps doctors choose treatments with the best chance for success.
Muscle Tone
Many motor function terms describe cerebral palsy’s effect on muscle tone and how muscles work together. Proper muscle tone when bending an arm requires the bicep to contract and the triceps to relax. When muscle tone is impaired, muscles do not work together and can even work in opposition to one another.
Two terms used to describe muscle tone are:
- Hypertonia/Hypertonic — increased muscle tone, often resulting in very stiff limbs. Hypertonia is associated with spastic cerebral palsy
- Hypotonia/Hypotonic — decreased muscle tone, often resulting in loose, floppy limbs. Hypotonia is associated with non-spastic cerebral palsy
GMFCS Classification Levels (Gross Motor Function Classification System)
- GMFCS Level I- walks without limitations.
- GMFCS Level II- walks with limitations. Limitations include walking long distances and balancing, but not as able as Level I to run or jump; may require use of mobility devices when first learning to walk, usually prior to age 4; and may rely on wheeled mobility equipment when outside of home for traveling long distances.
- GMFCS Level III- walks with adaptive equipment assistance. Requires hand-held mobility assistance to walk indoors, while utilizing wheeled mobility outdoors, in the community and at school; can sit on own or with limited external support; and has some independence in standing transfers.
- GMFCS Level IV- self-mobility with use of powered mobility assistance. Usually supported when sitting; self-mobility is limited; and likely to be transported in manual wheelchair or powered mobility.
- GMFCS Level V- severe head and trunk control limitations. Requires extensive use of assisted technology and physical assistance; and transported in a manual wheelchair, unless self-mobility can be achieved by learning to operate a powered wheelchair
http://cerebralpalsy.org/about-cerebral-palsy/types/
Taiwan:
Carter
Male, Age 4 1/2
Diagnosis of cerebral palsy
Many photos and documents available!
This precious 3 year old named Carter left the orphanage in Taiwan to be placed in a long term care facility! He has a diagnosis of cerebral palsy. He is
an adorable little boy that just needs his family to love him and care for him.
Please contact me as soon as possible if you would like to see his files, photos
and videos. Lifeline will continue to advocate for a family for him even since his
transfer to this facility.
Daniel
Male, Age 4 1/2
Cerebral Palsy, Epilepsy, Anemia, Developmental delay –
MR
Many photos and files available!
Wesley
Male, Age 5 1/2
Wesley has been diagnosed with Bilateral hearing impairment, Epilepsy – takes
medication, Cerebral palsy, and Global Developmental delay due to abuse. Despite
all this little guy is going through, he smiles or verbalizes to interact with
people, shares the food or toy in his hand, pulls other children to present his
intention of interacting with them, enjoys exploring his surroundings, is
developing the concept of “object permanence”, and is able to uncover hidden
objects. It is reported that Wesley is also able to stand with support, walk
with support, and uses pincer grasp to transfers object from hand to hand.
BULGARIA:
Brittany
age: 6
Special Need: Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy with subsequent multiple organ
dysfunction; Infantile cerebral palsy; Microcephalus; Symptomatic epilepsy;
Hypotrophy; Severe developmental delay
Chris
age: 2
Special Need: AD-type holoprosencephaly; Severe non-communicating external
hydrocephalus; Congenital anomaly of the central nervous system; Prosencephaly;
Microcephalus
Eli
Age: 8
Special Need: Infantile Cerebral Palsy
Gia
age: 10
Special Need: congenital malphormations, Microcephaly, arachnoid cyst in the
posterior cranial fossa, Retardation in the psychomotor and physical
development.
Isaac
age: 1.5
Special Needs: Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy; Infantile cerebral palsy;
External and internal hydrocephalus; Developmentally delayed
Kent
age: 8
Special Need: Child cerebral paralysis; Inguinal hernia on the
right.
Robby
age: 8
Special Need: Microcephalia, Retardation in the normal psychomotor
development, feeding tube
Thomas
age: 10
Special Needs: Infantile cerebral palsy; Corrected ectopic testis; Severe
malnutrition; Developementally delayed
Timmy
age: 9
Special Need: Domestic violence – severe sull-brain trauma by the father that
led to brain swelling, encephalopathy and “awake coma”; Severe lagging behind in
the physical and neuro-psychical development; Marasmus
Zeke
age: 11
Special Need: Infantile cerebral palsy; Anomaly of the brain parenchyma;
Scoliosis
Get the word out...these kids need a family...don't you want to be blessed by a kid like ME!!!!!!!
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