Challenges of raising CP child

Today i would like to talk about the challenges of raising a child with cerebral palsy who needs specialized care. In my two and a half journey with my son Elly, i would honestly say that it is very expensive to raise a special needs child. 

The moment a child is diagnosed with CP, the religious journey to the occupational and physical therapists begin, This has to be consistent and only the parent to the child can manage this, it is not easy to get a reliable nanny or family member to do this, For this reason most parents are forced to quit their jobs and careers and concentrate on the child, who also in most cases will fully depend on the parent almost all their life. Friends and family will sometimes turn their back on you cos to some this feels like a burden, and to friends the social life dies being that all attention goes to the affected child. 

When Elly was  diagnosed with CP at four months old, i had not much knowledge on children disabilities in general. There was no counselling given to me on what was to come. Lack of counselling facilities for CP parents is a major cause of denial as most parents do not understand their children's condition.

Stigma should have been top on my list, In Kenya in general, disabilities are still seen as a form of punishment or sins from the parents. The general public has no knowledge of CP and in most cases the public stares and asks annoying questions, this makes some parents to hide their kids, denying them their social life. Most marriages are broken and in most cases the mothers have to bear the burden of  raising the affected kids and other kids if any. The myths and superstitions surrounding disabilities in kenya makes it difficult for parents to fit in the society, they are judged and isolated.

As i have mentioned above, it is very expensive to raise a child who needs specialized care. The cost of therapies and treatment is very expensive and no insurance company in Kenya has a cover for children with CP. Any assistive  (sitting aids, wheel chairs, standing aids) and orthopedic  device that these kids need are also very expensive. Traveling with thesse kids is also very expensive. 

Poverty and lack of enough finances is a major challenge too, some families cannot even afford a decent meal, and at the same time they are raising a CP child who need a balanced died to survive. 

These are just but a few challenges, there are amny more that i will be sharing now and then. 

Thank you for reading my blog, please share as we continue the journey of Understanding CP. 

#love

#awareness

#cerebralpalsy