Category Archives: Cerebral Palsy Treatment

Mitsu Yasukawa/ Staff Photographer Photos: William Paterson University 2013 graduation She was the first student to take a seat at William Paterson Universitys graduation Wednesday and she traveled one of the hardest paths to get there. Born with cerebral palsy in the Dominican Republic, Juana M. Ortiz was never able to go to school until she came to New Jersey at 15. Because she walks slowly, she was seated alone in the front row before her classmates paraded in. She can type with only one hand and, despite her strenuous efforts to enunciate, can be hard to understand. But her enormous drive was on joyful display as she stepped carefully, with assistance, across the stage at the Izod Center in East Rutherford to get her diploma at age 40. I thought I would never be able to make it this far, she said before a ceremony granting bachelors degrees to 2,446 students and masters degrees to 326. I got support from my family and professors. Im thankful to be in America. Here you can complete any dream as long as you try hard. Her father Marino, a retired taxi driver, could not hold back tears as he described his pride. … Continue reading →

Ihor lies on a bed during a therapy session last month in Boston. Ihor Lakatosh struggles to describe his life before the surgeries, when his severe burns went untreated for years in his native Ukraine, leaving him with one arm fused to his body, unable to walk and abandoned by his mother. The 11-year-old boy, however, smiles widely and makes the sign of the cross when he describes how he feels now, after a series of surgeries and physical therapy at a Boston charity hospital. "Thank you, I can walk. Thank you, I can walk. Thank you, Lord, I can walk," he said recently through an interpreter. Ihor returned to Boston this year for a second round of procedures and has been showing off his newfound ability to walk, take off his jacket and climb onto a bed. No one knows the details of the fire that burned 30 percent of Ihor's body when he was about 3. He was severely malnourished and unable to walk or bend his arms when neighbors in Lviv, Ukraine, urged his mother to take him to a hospital in 2011, doctors said. She did, and she never came back. The hospital provided minor care. … Continue reading →

DURHAM Duke University medical researchers have been awarded a foundation grant of $15 million to study the use of umbilical cord blood cells to treat autism, stroke, cerebral palsy and related brain disorders. The award from the Atlanta-based Marcus Foundation will cover the first two years of a planned five-year, $41 million project by Dr. Joanne Kurtzberg, who leads Dukes Robertson Cell and Translational Therapy Program, and Geraldine Dawson, director of the Duke Center for Autism Diagnosis and Treatment. Kurtzberg and Dawson hope to develop cell-based therapies that can potentially restore brain function in people with the disorders, for which there now are no cures. The project will consist of a series of clinical trials using umbilical cord blood cells to treat a total of 390 children and adults with autism, 100 children with cerebral palsy and 90 adults with stroke. There are about 2 million people in the United States with autism spectrum disorder, a group of conditions affecting social communication and behavior. Stroke kills an average of nearly 130,000 Americans annually, while cerebral palsy currently affects an estimated 764,000 children and young adults. Cord blood cells are collected without risk to the mother or baby from the placenta, … Continue reading →

By MIKE HOUSEHOLDER Associated Press ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) - A Michigan teenager who wanted to raise awareness about cerebral palsy by walking 40 miles with his younger brother strapped to his back battled heat, rain, fatigue and more to finish the trek Sunday. Hunter Gandee, 14, had been planning for weeks to pull off the walk, hoping to put a face on the muscular disorder that prevents his 7-year-old sibling, Braden, from being able to walk without help. But all his organizing couldn't prepare him for the conditions he faced as he packed the 50-pound boy over two days. He even thought about giving up along the way. "Honestly, yes, there was a point that we did consider stopping," Hunter said. "Braden's legs - the chafing was getting pretty bad. We did have to consider stopping. It was at about the 30-mile point." A phone call changed all that. Hunter reached out to a friend, who said a prayer for the brothers. That, combined with some rest and a change in how Braden was positioned on his brother's back, helped the boys make it the final 10 miles. It may have taken a bit longer than they anticipated, but … Continue reading →

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt has ordered a crackdown on taxpayer-funded cosmetic surgery such as breast implants, nose jobs and tummy tucks Boob jobs for free on the NHS could soon be a thing of the past. Health secretary Jeremy Hunt has ordered a crackdown on taxpayer-funded cosmetic surgery such as breast implants, nose jobs and tummy tucks. It comes after cases like that of would-be glamour model Josie Cunningham, who had a 5,000 NHS op to boost her breasts from 32A to 36DD. So, should purely cosmetic ops be banned? A mum and a cosmetic surgeon put both sides of the argument... I completely agree with this crackdown. The NHS should not be paying for cosmetic surgery. There are too many sick children and cancer patients who miss out on the treatment they need because the NHS has spent the money on cosmetic surgery. There are huge groups of people who are being seriously let down. When my son Bens operation was cancelled we were told the NHS couldnt fund it any more because the money wasnt there. His SDR spinal surgery costs 20,000 the price of just a few boob jobs on the NHS. And Ben is not the … Continue reading →

By Gustav NossalJune 17, 2014, 9:21 p.m. The history of Australian medical research is an unabashed good news story: its led to many astounding yet common medical treatments and to better understanding of disease. The history of Australian medical research is an unabashed good news story: its led to many astounding yet common medical treatments and to better understanding of disease. In fact, as a society we benefit every single day from this innovation and growth in human knowledge. Yet so many of the stories behind the science remain hidden: we know so little about how we came to know what we know. The first is about a young psychiatrist from Melbourne who had no research training whatsoever John Cade. Cade was particularly interested in bipolar disorder. He was convinced that the horrendous manic phase, where the person goes completely mad, must have been due to some toxin and he thought it would be secreted in the urine, particularly uric acid. He was completely wrong. But his hypothesis led Cade to inject the urine from manic patients into guinea pigs. Because he knew lithium salts could help dissolve the uric acid crystals, Cade gave these salts to the guinea pigs. … Continue reading →

1 year-old Milleigh Turner is held by her mother Jennifer Turner at Saturday's Fundraiser. Milleigh was diagnosed with cerebral palsy in 2013. NEW BLOOMFIELD, MO -- Residents from New Bloomfield and Holts Summit came together at New Bloomfield High School Saturday afternoon to support the family of an infant diagnosed with cerebral palsy. The day of activities included a car show, a petting zoo, and a barbecue, amongst others. However, the biggest event was an auction that took place in the high school cafeteria. Many different items were up for bid, from sculptures to handmade quilts. The room was packed full of people who felt they had to do something forMilleigh Turnerand her family. Its for a good cause, said Christina Shiverdecker, who came out to show support. Weve got a little girl that needs as much help as she could possibly get. Good auction, good stuff, good food, good people. Milleigh, who was born in May of 2013, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy after experiencing a form of sudden infant death syndrome. Her family has struggled with the expense of getting their daughter the treatment she needs, hyperbaric oxygen therapy. New Bloomfield Lions Club president Keith Thomas and his … Continue reading →

(Toledo News Now) - Two brothers are back home after their grueling, yet amazing 40-mile walk to raise awareness of cerebral palsy. It took two days, but the benefits could last for years. 14 year-old Hunter said it was so tough, he didn't think he could carry his 7-year-old brother on his back the entire way. But they got through it with support and prayers and continue to inspire people all over the country. Hunter carried Braden on his back as they began their journey Saturday May 7 morning, leaving from Hunter's school at Bedford Junior High. Braden was born with cerebral palsy, leaving him unable to walk on his own. Big brother carried him about 26 miles. By Sunday, the physical demands really started taking their toll on the boys. Braden was suffering from chaffing on his legs but a physical therapist was with them and helped them through. They finished the last 14-miles and had a big final moment when the boys reached the end at the University of Michigan's wrestling center. Braden reached up and touched the banner welcoming them in. "When it was hard, I'm like, we're going to do this but it's sore. We kept … Continue reading →

In a wheelchair for years, Jared did physical therapy to help him walk again so he can walk for his diploma at Parkland's graduation. Jared Brown is a handsome, 6-foot-2-inch, Parkland High School senior who will walk across the stage at Stabler Arena on Monday night with a few hundred of his classmates to receive his diploma the reward for four years of hard work and a slate of straight A's. What will set the 17-year-old apart is the very act of walking. It's been a long time since Jared did it, at least in public. He has relied on a wheelchair since age 14, when a worsening of involuntary muscle movements from his cerebral palsy combined with the added weight and mass of an extraordinary growth spurt 8 inches in a year made walking virtually impossible. It's still not easy, by any means. Jared will cross the stage with a walker, modified with foam padding to protect his legs as he moves. The padding is decorated, naturally, in Parkland red and gray. "He said, 'I don't see what the big deal is because I'm just going to walk across the stage like the other kids,' " said Jared's mother, … Continue reading →

In a wheelchair for years, Jared did physical therapy to help him walk again so he can walk for his diploma at Parkland's graduation. Jared Brown is a handsome, 6-foot-2-inch, Parkland High School senior who will walk across the stage at Stabler Arena on Monday night with a few hundred of his classmates to receive his diploma the reward for four years of hard work and a slate of straight A's. What will set the 17-year-old apart is the very act of walking. It's been a long time since Jared did it, at least in public. He has relied on a wheelchair since age 14, when a worsening of involuntary muscle movements from his cerebral palsy combined with the added weight and mass of an extraordinary growth spurt 8 inches in a year made walking virtually impossible. It's still not easy, by any means. Jared will cross the stage with a walker, modified with foam padding to protect his legs as he moves. The padding is decorated, naturally, in Parkland red and gray. "He said, 'I don't see what the big deal is because I'm just going to walk across the stage like the other kids,' " said Jared's mother, … Continue reading →