Cornwall woman is busting the myth about cerebral palsy – Cornwall Live

A Cornwall woman with cerebral palsy is myth-busting about living with the illness.

Amanda Brokenshire, of Foxhole, says that as a child her parents were often told that she was just lazy when at two-and-a-half-years old, Amanda was not reaching expected milestones and showing any signs of walking.

But after spending her toddler years embroiled in these issues, her parents knew something was wrong and she was eventually diagnosed with a mild form of cerebral palsy.

Cerebral palsy is the name for a group of lifelong conditions that affect movement and co-ordination, caused by a problem with the brain that occurs before, during or soon after birth.

It affects each person differently and can be difficult to predict what a life with cerebral palsy will look like for each individual.

56-year-old Amanda, said: There are all kinds of different degrees of it. There are some people who have got it who are in wheelchairs, cant speak and cant do anything for themselves and then people like me who manage just fine.

Misconceptions of cerebral palsy

Common misconceptions of cerebral palsy include that because suffers often cant walk properly and might be in need of a wheelchair, that it is a progressive disease - but Amanda says that it is actually not the case.

She says you could have better days and worse days but generally the illness is not progressive. I can still get around on my own steam. I do use crutches out of the house but in the house I get around fine. It is not progressive, says Amanda.

Another common misconception is that because it relates to a problem with the brain, that a sufferer would also have a low IQ, but depending on the area of the brain that was damaged, the persons intelligence may not be impaired at all - instead it could affect movement, speech, vision or breathing.

Cerebral palsy affects each person differently and it may be verydifficult to predict what the outlook will be for you or your child.

Generally speaking:

Speak to your care team about the likely effects of cerebral palsy on you or your child.

This information if taken from the NHS website. For more information click here.

It hasnt affected my ability to do anything in my life.

Amanda has never let her diagnosis hold her back. Living as normal of a childhood as she could outside of doctors appointments, Amanda grew up in St Austell with her parents and brothers.

She spoke of her childhood, saying: When I started school, I was in mainstream school to start with for the first twelve months. I cant remember it very well but I guess I had a relatively normal childhood.

I was having to go to physical therapy every day or every other day so the school doctors suggested I went away to a specialist school.

In her adult years she says with some help, she has always managed to get around and to work independently, saying: It hasnt affected my ability to do anything in my life. I just got on. I just take it as part of me and thats all it is.

"I work at Morrisons, I have a job on the tills sitting down on the tills so I am fine. If I need to get up, my crutches are there for me to do what Ive got to do.

Prior to working at Morrisons, Amanda worked at a factory in Bodmin for 21 years, before being made redundant, but she said: "Me being me, I wouldn't give up," and quickly found another job.

Amanda has worked at Morrisons in Bodmin now for ten years. She uses Volunteer Cornwalls transport service to get to work and described the service as a lifeline.

She said: without Volunteer Cornwall Transport I wouldnt be able to make it to my job at Morrisons and would lose a massive part of my independence. I would like to give a heartfelt thanks to the volunteer drivers and the rest of the team who make this possible.

Her driver, Barry has become such a well-known face that Amandas dog Bella recognises the sound of his car and rushes out to greet him. Barry goes the extra mile and always helps Amanda in with any shopping she brings home, and both enjoy chatting to each other about their lives and families.

Amanda concluded: "If you've got a disability there is ways and means of getting about and doing what you wanna do. It shouldn't hold you back".

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Cornwall woman is busting the myth about cerebral palsy - Cornwall Live