Simple Ways to Celebrate World CP Day

October 6, 2021 is World Cerebral Palsy (CP) Day. It’s a time for people around the globe to celebrate and support the more than 17 million people living with CP.

Gillette Children's is internationally known for its excellence in caring for people diagnosed with cerebral palsy. For nearly 125 years the doctors, nurses, therapists and staff at Gillette have worked every day to provide the very best care for all children. This dedication has led to treatments and outcomes that have influenced cerebral palsy care worldwide.

Read and Learn: Gillette Children’s Press has several books to help you learn about cerebral palsy and people living with CP:

Improving Quality of Life for Individuals with Cerebral Palsy through Treatment of Gait Impairment International Cerebral Palsy Function and Mobility Symposium Clinics in Developmental Medicine is the result of a three-day symposium held in December 2019. The book is edited by Gillette orthopedic surgeon, Tom Novacheck, MD and clinical scientist, Michael Schwartz, PhD. It includes a chapter written by Gillette orthopedic surgeon, Andrew Georgiadis, MD. Print copies and a free eBook are available at www.mackeith.co.uk/books.

Spastic Diplegia – Bilateral Cerebral Palsy combines scientific research and a mother’s personal story of raising her son who is diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Author Lily Collison wrote the book in conjunction with senior medical staff at Gillette Children's.

Pure Grit is Lily Collison’s second book, and it highlights the stories of remarkable people living with physical disability. Collison and co-author Kara Buckley introduce us to nineteen people from across the globe who share their success and struggles. Collison says the book is not a collection of stories of people overcoming disability but rather it is stories of people accommodating disability while pursuing their dreams.

It's Okay to Ask! introduces young readers to five children living with a disability or a complex medical condition. As children get to know the characters in the book they learn that it’s okay to ask questions. Once you do, you can discover that everyone is more alike than you might think and that people of all abilities can be friends.

Contact: Reach out to your legislator or lawmaker and be an advocate to ensure all children have equal access to quality educational opportunities.

Wear: Green is the color of cerebral palsy awareness. The color green was chosen to reflect new growth, vibrant lives and hope for advancements in treatments and acceptance.

Support and Share: Be a support and spread the message of equality for all people via social media. Remember to tag your messages and use the hashtags #WorldCerebralPalsyDay, #worldcpday and #cerebralpalsy.

• The James R. Gage Center for Gait and Motion Analysis at Gillette is the first-ever to be accredited and among the world’s best and busiest. Using innovative computer technology, motion analysis captures movements, muscle activity and forces that the eye can’t see. Once a child has their gait and motion analyzed a team of Gillette specialists meet to craft an individualized treatment plan tailored to each child.  
• Gillette has one of the largest group of physicians in rehabilitation medicine (PM&R) and the largest group of pediatric orthopedic surgeons in the upper Midwest. These doctors are highly trained and specialize in treating children who have cerebral palsy.  
• Gillette was the first hospital in Minnesota to perform selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) surgery to reduce spasticity. We’re experts in single-event multilevel surgery (SEMLS) to help with issues in a child’s muscles, bones and joints. We perform 81% of CP-related orthopedic surgeries in Minnesota and we treat all forms of cerebral palsy—including the most severe. 
• Gillette providers are driven to make discoveries to help all people who have cerebral palsy. For example, we designed, developed and patented the Gillette Prone Cart for children recovering from selective dorsal rhizotomy surgery. This is especially helpful to children who had rhizotomy surgery as they begin their six weeks of inpatient rehabilitation therapy. Spending time prone—lying flat on the stomach—can contribute to good surgical outcomes.  
• Gillette is just one of three pediatric specialty programs in Minnesota accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) to meet the needs of young children and adolescents seeking acute inpatient rehabilitation. Our rehab gym is impressive and has cutting-edge technology, but our program truly shines because our therapists are experts at making hard work seem like play.  
• Cerebral palsy is a complex condition and can affect many parts of the body. We have the best technology to diagnose and treat CP. Our testing includes MRIs, CT scans, EOS imaging, neurological assessments, and evaluations and screening at our Gillette Motor Delay Diagnosis and Treatment Clinic.  
• Gillette believes in scientific research and in sharing our knowledge with health care providers around the world. Our scientific research is often focused on cerebral palsy-specific topics including long term treatment outcomes, the effectiveness of medications like botulinum toxin and phenol, intrathecal baclofen pump use and many other on-going studies. Gillette is a member of the Cerebral Palsy Research Network. (CPRN).

Happy World CP Day!