Urgent Need for Increased Congressional Funding for Cerebral Palsy Research
Hey guys!
How are you today?
I want to discuss an issue that’s been on my mind lately—the incredibly low congressional funding for Cerebral Palsy (CP) research. Learning about this last week was frustrating, and I feel compelled to share my thoughts here.
People living with CP and their loved ones need this funding to get more information about their disability and obtain more services and resources. This will also improve their services, programs, and treatment. Adults with CP would have more access to doctors and healthcare professionals because they would know more about the disability and how it affects people. Many of them visit children’s hospitals for their care because of the interest in CP from pediatric doctors. Even though they are getting physical and occupational therapy, they are not receiving as much care for their organ systems, such as musculoskeletal tissues, cardiology, and more. This is dangerous for older patients because this means that doctors are not addressing their concerns about their bodies. This is also problematic because there are fewer CP-informed pediatric doctors and health care professionals attending to children with CP who often wait months for appointments and treatments.
More funding for CP research means better education for healthcare professionals about CP, leading to improved care for both children and adults. People with CP will also have more knowledge about their disability. It ensures additional resources and services throughout their lives.
I brought this to your attention to spread more awareness to this community and ask people to assist us by asking your representatives and senators to push them to have more funding for CP research. I want people to have better school and life services so that more people can find doctors and health professionals and have a great support system in their schools. I have CP, and my parents and teachers had to advocate to get services in school. They listened to my parents and teachers and provided many services for me to succeed, but unfortunately, some people with CP don’t get all of their services in school. They have to fight hard to get services. This is also why we need more funding.
Approximately 1 million people live with CP, the most common lifelong motor disability, yet it receives minimal federal research funding. Increased funding would significantly improve school and life services, treatment, and assistive technologies, transforming lives by enabling better self-expression and healthcare access.
Last year, the 177th Congress allocated $2 million for CP monitoring through the CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disorder Monitoring (ADDM) Network. This was a positive step, restoring monitoring of CP prevalence, but more dedicated research funding is still needed. Advocacy groups, nonprofits, activists, and researchers are tirelessly working for this cause, but more progress is necessary.
Many people with CP lead fulfilling lives, but additional research could enhance their quality of life even further.
How can you help?
Learn more about Cerebral Palsy and CP research.
Contact your Representatives and Senators to advocate for increased federal funding for CP research. Visit GoGreen4CP for more information.
Remember to greet and acknowledge people with disabilities whenever you see them.
Thank you for your support!
Sources
https://thehill.com/opinion/congress-blog/4553386-additional-and-dedicated-federal-funding-is-needed-for-cerebral-palsy-research/
This is the opinion of Enable Everything. Please fact check
