Legal and Medical Resources Resources to Empower Cerebral Palsy Families
1-800-CPFamily (273-2645)
When we first learned that our child had CP, we were devastated. For most children with CP, causes are not known. Our families fall in the 12% to 23% of cases where the cerebral palsy was caused by a lack of oxygen during the labor and delivery process¹.
Any child is a gift, but raising a child with cerebral palsy is a special challenge and responsibility because of the special services, full-time care giving and high cost of health care. The more we all share information, the better we will be able to make the right decisions for our families and children. We created CP Family Network for two reasons:
To provide information to all cerebral palsy families about diagnosis, treatments and resources for their child with CP.
If you suspect a birth error, to provide resources to help you uncover the truth.
We want you to know that cerebral palsy is not a disease and parents should not blame themselves. The term cerebral palsy refers to a group of chronic disorders that affect a person’s motor skills, muscle tone and muscle movement. Cerebral refers to the brain, and palsy to muscle weakness or poor control. You might be surprised to learn that an estimated 764,000 children and adults nationwide exhibit one or more of the symptoms of CP.
We love our children and who they are, but the systems that permit birth injuries must change. For more than 35 years, Giles H. Manley, M.D., J.D., F.A.C.O.G. and the MyAdvocates medical and legal team have found that many of the same birth injuries keep happening again and again.
We learned more about the injuries that caused our children’s cerebral palsy through Dr. Manley and MyAdvocates. They uncovered the errors and helped ensure we had enough money to take care of our children’s future medical, care giving and educational needs.
This website is for you and for everyone who cares for those with CP. We welcome your questions and invite you to learn more about us.
¹Joseph J. Volpe, M.D., Harvard professor and Neurologist-in-Chief at Boston’s Children’s Hospital
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