Category Archives: Cerebral Palsy

THE skipper of Scotlands cerebral palsy footballers has accused the SFA of killing their sporting dreams. Hard-hearted Hampden bosses have withdrawn the Scotland team from the World Championships in Argentina to protect its independence with FIFA . But Jonny Paterson has accused the SFA of treating him and his team-mates as second-class citizens and fears disabled players have just lost their international side ranked ninth in the world forever. The SFA moved after the governing body of cerebral palsy football, the IFCPF, changed its rules to allow any player with a British passport to represent a home nation of their choice. A statement said: The SFA believes that continued participation in IFCPF competitions may potentially jeopardise Scotlands status as an independent football nation. But midfielder Paterson said: Im devastated for myself and my team-mates, who have given up so much to reach this level in the game. Theres nothing for us any more even our next training get-together on June 24 has been scrapped. Ive overcome disability and bullying as a kid as I fought to play football before finally finding acceptance with Blackburn Boys Club in Motherwell. This is harder to take than all of that. If the SFA … Continue reading →

BOULDER As a steady stream of exhausted athletes crossed the finish line of the Ironman Boulder, the volume of cheers rose Sunday at 10:30 p.m. to welcome James Banks and David Slomkowski to the end of their long ordeal. The duo from Baltimore had begun 15 hours and 45 minutes earlier. Banks, whom Slomkowski pulled and pushed for more than 140 miles, smiled broadly after a finish-area volunteer hung the Ironman medal from his neck. Banks, 18, has cerebral palsy and scoliosis. Booyah! a group of friends shouted, knowing that is Banks favorite word for expressing happiness. Booyah! he replied to whoops and hollers. You are an Ironman! someone shouted. Slomkowski founded Athletes Serving Athletes in Baltimore a decade ago after being inspired by the story of Team Hoyt. Dick Hoyt has pushed and pulled son Rick, who has cerebral palsy, through 72 marathons and seven Ironmans. Banks was one of ASAs first athletes, and it was a dream come true for Slomkowski to give him the Ironman experience. He did great, Slomkowski said. He wasnt feeling so hot before the race, and he never is not feeling well, so we were concerned about him and said, Lets take a … Continue reading →

wivb.com Supporters walk, run and roll to raise awareness for Cerebral Palsy wivb.com 17 million people worldwide are diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, and in the United States there is no federal funding for research. This is something founder, Lauren Wailer hopes will change in the near future. All those people that are affected, there ... The rest is here: Supporters walk, run and roll to raise awareness for Cerebral Palsy - wivb.com … Continue reading →

SELINSGROVE, Pa. (AP) - A beaming Tyler Neitz clutched the hand of Logan Leiby when he stopped at his Hummels Wharf home for a visit early Saturday evening. It was a similar gesture the friends shared a few days earlier when Leiby, a junior at Selinsgrove High School, escorted Neitz to his high school commencement and sat with him throughout the ceremony. Its like a security blanket, holding hands, because he tenses up, said Leiby. Neitz, 20, has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair. Leiby learned about his tendency to clench his hands when anxious while working with him and other disabled students in the schools life skills learning class. A record-setting high school quarterback, Leiby plans a career in elementary and special education. One thing you realize is how fortunate you are, but also how special they are - how brave the kids in the program are, he said. When our teacher, Mrs. Michelle Mudrock, asked if I could accompany him to graduation, I was so honored. It was such a great thing and I was so touched to be asked to be with my friend. I mean there was no way I would ever say no. Martin and … Continue reading →

MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee man is accused of setting his wheelchair-bound sister on fire, and killing her, according to a criminal complaint. Nasif Salaan Hibbler, 30, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the death of his sister, Shakira Hicks, according to TODAY'S TMJ4 sister station Channel 3000 in Madison. Police said Hibbler walked into a Milwaukee police station on Saturday and told officers, I just set my sister on fire. Officers went to the mans home and found a fire inside the home and a woman who had been injured in the fire. Hicks has cerebral palsy and was not able to get out of the wheelchair, police said. The criminal complaint said isopropyl alcohol was found in the area of the fire, and the cause of the fire was determined to be arson. Detectives said Hibbler admitted to setting the fire. 'Peoples' voices' began to talk to him, telling he better do something or they were going to kill him, the complaint said. Hibbler told police he had threatening voices in his head. He told police, famous, "rappers were attempting to sexually assault him through the couch he was sitting on." Hibbler says he grabbed a bottle of … Continue reading →

ByGraham Gremore Ryan J. Haddad has a message for the world: Hes gay. Hes disabled. And hes sexy as f*ck. And speaking of, ahem, f*cking, he wouldnt mind doing some of that. 25-year-old Haddad is the subject of the first episode of Davey Waveys new digital series #ThisIsMe, which is a series that will feature body image stories of gay men from across the spectrum of our community. Haddad has cerebral palsy and needs a walker to get around. He describes himself as a hairy twink not an otter (he doesnt think he has quite enough hair to qualify as an otter) with nice legs and a very respectable penis. Related:Turns Out Grindr Is A Godsend If Youre Gay, Twentysomething, And Disabled When he first started going out to gay clubs in his early 20s, Haddad had some rather awkward run-ins with other guys. Often they would look at him with sadnessor pity. It took him several years to realize that those were their issues and that it had nothing to do with him. I realize [now] that I am good enough, Haddad says. Men just dont have the knowledge or the understanding required to approach someone with a walker. … Continue reading →

Please enable Javascript to watch this video MILWAUKEE -- A 35-year-old woman was the victim of a homicide that happened near Palmer and Concordia on Saturday night, June 3rd -- a home in the area set on fire. The victim, Shakira Hicks, allegedly died at the hands of her own brother. After setting the fire, police say the 30-year-old man turned himself in. As you might imagine, the family is heartbroken. A sister said Shakira Hicks struggled all of her life as a result of health issues, and she suffered even more during the last moments of her life. Shakira Hicks "I'm broken. I'm torn apart. It's like my heartwas ripped out my chest. My sister couldn't defend herself," Malayka Pitts said. Diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a baby, Shakira Hicks was wheelchair bound her entire life. "Only one arm was mobile," Pitts said. Pitts said Hicks relied on family for help. "She couldn't do nothing for herself," Pitts said. Pitts and her sister, Primrose Hibbler said on Saturday night, their brother, Nasif Hibbler was supposed to be taking care of Hicks. Malayka Pitts "You locked her in the house. You set her on fire. You hurt her. Your sister. … Continue reading →

Alex Lasker, AOL.com Jun 6th 2017 11:15AM A 35-year-old woman has died after she was allegedly set on fire by her own brother at their Milwaukee home on Saturday night. Shakira Hicks, who suffers from cerebral palsy and has been wheelchair bound her entire life, was under the care of her brother, Nasif Hibbler, at the time of the incident. Photo: Nasif Hibbler After Hibbler reportedly set his disabled sister on fire, police say the 30-year-old man immediately turned himself in. Malayka Pitts, the victim's sister, told WITI that despite the suspect's past criminal history involving violence and drugs, she still considers his actions unimaginable. "No one thought that he would ever harm her in no type of way, so we don't know what was his state of mind was when he did that," she told the outlet. "She loved him and he loved her, so I don't know what triggered in his head to make it want to hurt her." Pitts says her family is completely shocked and devastated by the horrific crime. "She was always happy, wanted her family around. She liked the outdoors. She liked going outside," Pitts said. "I'm broken. I'm torn apart. It's like my … Continue reading →

WATCH LIVE Before most Rock 'n'Roll San Diego runners even wake up Sunday morning, Jamie Watts will already be on the course heading towards the finish line. Watts is the first runner of Sunday's half-marathon, set to leave the starting line at 3 a.m. She has cerebral palsy, which makes routine tasks more like routine challenges. But, with the help of friends who accompany her along the course, 13.1 miles is well within reach. It just takes her a little longer. While typical runners average right around a 10-minute mile, Watts clocks in closer to 30 minutes per mile, which is why she starts so early. Watts says the roads aren't always closed at the beginning of her race, so she often runs on a "parallel path" using sidewalks next to the road until the course is completely blocked off. While she has already completed more than 100 races, mostly 5Ks, this will be just her third half-marathon. She is aiming for a finish time between seven and eight hours -- "hopefully closer to seven," she says. Watts started training for races primarily just to stay healthy but says if the inspires others with disabilities to try new things it's … Continue reading →

Logan Leiby, left, joins his friend, Tyler Neitz, during the Selinsgrove (Pa.) Area High School graduation ceremony on Wednesday, May 31, 2017. (Robert Inglis /The Daily Item via AP) Logan Leiby, left, joins his friend, Tyler Neitz, during the Selinsgrove (Pa.) Area High School graduation ceremony on Wednesday, May 31, 2017. (Robert Inglis /The Daily Item via AP) Star quarterback, graduate with cerebral palsy forge bond SELINSGROVE, Pa. (AP) A beaming Tyler Neitz clutched the hand of Logan Leiby when he stopped at his Hummels Wharf home for a visit early Saturday evening. It was a similar gesture the friends shared a few days earlier when Leiby, a junior at Selinsgrove High School, escorted Neitz to his high school commencement and sat with him throughout the ceremony. "It's like a security blanket, holding hands, because he tenses up," said Leiby. Neitz, 20, has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair. Leiby learned about his tendency to clench his hands when anxious while working with him and other disabled students in the school's life skills learning class. A record-setting high school quarterback, Leiby plans a career in elementary and special education. "One thing you realize is how fortunate you are, but also … Continue reading →