Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month: Days 1-15

March is Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month. If you follow James on Facebook, you’ve probably seen the daily CP facts that Stacy has been posting. This is part 1 of 2 of a collection of those posts and will include the first 15 daily facts. I will post part 2 at the end of the month (or early April) with the remainder of the daily facts.

A special thanks to Firefly for putting these facts together to help raise awareness about CP.

Before we get to the daily facts, I’d like to share an informative video from Gillette Children’s Hospital that explains what cerebral palsy is:

 

 

Day 1

You can’t “catch” CP from someone who has it.

An awareness graphic features a large orange number “1” on the left and bold gray text reading “CEREBRAL PALSY ISN’T CONTAGIOUS RELAX :)”. A thin orange line separates the main message from smaller text that reads "supporting special‑needs family participation and CP Awareness Month", along with the hashtag #CPAwareness. At the bottom is the orange “firefly” logo and the website “fireflyfriends.com.” A green awareness ribbon appears on the right side of the design.

 

Day 2

A stroke caused significant damage to James’ brain.

An awareness graphic features a large orange number “2” on the left and gray text explaining that cerebral palsy is caused by damage to the part of the brain that controls muscle movement. On the right, an orange silhouette of a head contains a simple brain illustration with a crack symbolizing injury. A thin orange line separates the main message from smaller text that reads "supporting special‑needs family participation and CP Awareness Month", along with the hashtag #CPAwareness. At the bottom is the orange “firefly” logo and the website “fireflyfriends.com.” A green awareness ribbon appears on the right side of the design.

 

Day 3

We believe that James’ CP was caused by a stroke he suffered before he was born.

An awareness graphic features a large orange number “3” on the left. To the right, gray text states that over 90% of cerebral palsy cases occur pre‑birth. Beside the text is an orange outline of a fetus inside a womb. A thin orange line separates the main message from smaller text that reads "supporting special‑needs family participation and CP Awareness Month", along with the hashtag #CPAwareness. At the bottom is the orange “firefly” logo and the website “fireflyfriends.com.” A green awareness ribbon appears on the right side of the design.

 

Day 4

An awareness graphic features a large orange number “4” on the left. To the right, bold gray text explains that cerebral palsy does not necessarily involve learning difficulties and that people with CP often have an equal or higher IQ than the general population. An orange silhouette of a head with a simple white brain outline appears beside the text. A thin orange line separates the main message from smaller text that reads "supporting special‑needs family participation and CP Awareness Month", along with the hashtag #CPAwareness. At the bottom is the orange “firefly” logo and the website “fireflyfriends.com.” A green awareness ribbon appears on the right side of the design.

 

Day 5

We don’t plan on James leaving us anytime soon, but with all of his other medical issues, we just don’t know.

An awareness graphic features a large orange number “5” on the left. To the right, gray explains that most people with cerebral palsy have a similar life expectancy to the general population, followed by the line “We’re not leaving anytime soon.” Beneath the message are simple orange icons of four human figures in increasing size, suggesting growth across ages. A thin orange line separates the main message from smaller text that reads "supporting special‑needs family participation and CP Awareness Month", along with the hashtag #CPAwareness. At the bottom is the orange “firefly” logo and the website “fireflyfriends.com.” A green awareness ribbon appears on the right side of the design.

 

Day 6

Unfortunately, James will probably never walk.

An awareness graphic features a large orange number “6” on the left. To the right, gray text explains that cerebral palsy does not always mean a person will never walk, with the message “Many can, many will.” Beside the text is a simple orange walking‑figure icon. A thin orange line separates the main message from smaller text that reads "supporting special‑needs family participation and CP Awareness Month", along with the hashtag #CPAwareness. At the bottom is the orange “firefly” logo and the website “fireflyfriends.com.” A green awareness ribbon appears on the right side of the design.

 

Day 7

James can’t talk, but he still tries in his own way.

An awareness graphic features a large orange number “7” on the left. To the right, gray text explains that cerebral palsy can affect communication, followed by the message “but we find ways.” Beside the text is a simple orange speech‑bubble icon. A thin orange line separates the main message from smaller text that reads "supporting special‑needs family participation and CP Awareness Month", along with the hashtag #CPAwareness. At the bottom is the orange “firefly” logo and the website “fireflyfriends.com.” A green awareness ribbon appears on the right side of the design.

 

Day 8

An awareness graphic features a large orange number “8” on the left. To the right, two simple orange child icons appear — one with a bow and one waving. Bold gray text states that kids with cerebral palsy are still just kids, “nothing more, nothing less.” A thin orange line separates the main message from smaller text that reads "supporting special‑needs family participation and CP Awareness Month", along with the hashtag #CPAwareness. At the bottom is the orange “firefly” logo and the website “fireflyfriends.com.” A green awareness ribbon appears on the right side of the design.

 

Day 9

James was born full-term at 39 weeks.

An awareness graphic features a large orange number “9”. To the right, gray text explains that about half of children with cerebral palsy are born prematurely. A thin orange line separates the main message from smaller text that reads "supporting special‑needs family participation and CP Awareness Month", along with the hashtag #CPAwareness. At the bottom is the orange “firefly” logo and the website “fireflyfriends.com.” A green awareness ribbon appears on the right side of the design.

 

Day 10

We’re not giving up.

An awareness graphic features a large orange number “10” turned sideways on the left side. To the right, bold gray text states that there is currently no cure for cerebral palsy, paired with the message that nobody is giving up. Beside the text is a stylized orange DNA strand. A thin orange line separates the main message from smaller text that reads "supporting special‑needs family participation and CP Awareness Month", along with the hashtag #CPAwareness. At the bottom is the orange “firefly” logo and the website “fireflyfriends.com.” A green awareness ribbon appears on the right side of the design.

 

Day 11

James will never be independent and will need 24/7 care for his entire life.

An awareness graphic features a large orange number “11” turned sideways on the left side. To the right, bold gray text states that people with cerebral palsy can lead completely independent lives. Beside the message is an orange house icon containing simplified figures of two adults and one child, representing family and independence. A thin orange line separates the main message from smaller text that reads "supporting special‑needs family participation and CP Awareness Month", along with the hashtag #CPAwareness. At the bottom is the orange “firefly” logo and the website “fireflyfriends.com.” A green awareness ribbon appears on the right side of the design.

 

Day 12

An awareness graphic features a large orange number “12” turned sideways on the left side. To the right, bold gray text states that many kids with cerebral palsy can, will, and should attend mainstream schools. To the right of the message is an orange classroom icon showing “ABC 123” on a board. A thin orange line separates the main message from smaller text that reads "supporting special‑needs family participation and CP Awareness Month", along with the hashtag #CPAwareness. At the bottom is the orange “firefly” logo and the website “fireflyfriends.com.” A green awareness ribbon appears on the right side of the design.

 

Day 13

School is sometimes hard work!

An awareness graphic features a large orange number “13” turned sideways on the left side. To the right, gray text explains that cerebral palsy does not necessarily spare someone from stressful, high‑pressure work. Next to the message is a simple orange figure holding a briefcase beside a downward‑trending graph. A thin orange line separates the main message from smaller text that reads "supporting special‑needs family participation and CP Awareness Month", along with the hashtag #CPAwareness. At the bottom is the orange “firefly” logo and the website “fireflyfriends.com.” A green awareness ribbon appears on the right side of the design.

 

Day 14

An awareness graphic features a large orange number “14” turned sideways on the left side. Large gray text states that cerebral palsy does not necessarily improve or worsen on its own. To the right of the message are two simple orange icons: one of a doctor and one of a child. A thin orange line separates the main message from smaller text that reads "supporting special‑needs family participation and CP Awareness Month", along with the hashtag #CPAwareness. At the bottom is the orange “firefly” logo and the website “fireflyfriends.com.” A green awareness ribbon appears on the right side of the design.

 

Day 15

An awareness graphic features a large orange number “15” turned sideways on the left side. Next to it, large gray text states, “There’s nothing ‘wrong’ with me, I just have cerebral palsy.” To the right of the message is a simple orange thumbs‑up icon. A thin orange line separates the main message from smaller text that reads "supporting special‑needs family participation and CP Awareness Month", along with the hashtag #CPAwareness. At the bottom is the orange “firefly” logo and the website “fireflyfriends.com.” A green awareness ribbon appears on the right side of the design.