Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month: Part 1 (Days 1 – 16)

It’s that time of year again when we raise awareness about Cerebral Palsy. Stacy has been posting daily facts about cerebral palsy on the Fans of James Facebook page and will continue to do so throughout the month. This is part 1 of those posts which will be a collection of the first sixteen daily facts. At the end of the month, I’ll put up part 2 that will include the facts for the second half of March.

Don’t forget that Stacy is having a Thirty-One fundraiser where 20% of sales will go to United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Chicago. Last year she raised $100. So far, she’s at $75 this year. Any size order helps.

Thank you Firefly for putting these facts together to help raise awareness about CP.

 

Day 1

CP may not be contagious, but James’ smile & spirit is.

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

The stroke that James had in utero is the cause of his Cerebral Palsy.

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

Day 3: Yep. It was the in utero stroke that caused James’ CP.

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

James is smarter than everyone! He sees and hears everything.

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

James is not done with this world. He will be around for years to come.

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

James will never walk but he enjoys being pushed around in his stander. He feels like the king of the school.

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

His teachers have told Stacy at conferences that he is a chatter box at school.

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

He’s just a kid. Nothing more, nothing less.

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 full term. He was the big boy in his pod in the NICU.

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

This is why we have an annual fundraiser, to help organizations find ways to PREVENT CP.
https://www.mythirtyone.com/627441/shop/Party/EventDetail/11137918

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 able to live alone. He will always live with us or in a nursing home.

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

James attends an amazing elementary school. He loves his teachers, classmates, and everyone he meets in the hallways. He’s like the Mayor.

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

Like I said for Day 12, James is like Mayor of his school, which can be a stressful job.

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

His muscle tightness has gotten better from physical therapy, occupational therapy and the chiropractor.

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.

 

Day 16

The Winter Olympics did not take place this year. Just like the Summer Olymipcs, they happen every four years; the last one taking place last year, and the next one coming up in 2022.

An awareness graphic features a large orange number “16” turned sideways on the left side. Large gray text notes that many competitors with cerebral palsy will appear in the Winter Paralympics. To the right of the message is a simple orange skier 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.