Cerebral Palsy Family Network Launches Online TV Show Offering Support, Practical Advice

The Cerebral Palsy Family Network (CPFN), a nonprofit organization and advocacy group founded in 2006 by parents of children with cerebral palsy and My Advocates legal team, recently launched a new Internet television show called “Cerebral Palsy Family Network TV” (CPFN TV). The TV show, first aired March 1 for the start of National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, is hosted by Lisa Viele and Anita Howell, both mothers of children with cerebral palsy.

The challenges afflicting children with cerebral palsy and their families were the main impetus behind the creation of the TV show. It aims to provide parents with a network of story-sharing, support, and practical advice.

“As a mother with a daughter with cerebral palsy, I know the frustrations and the fears of raising a child who doesn’t come with an ‘instruction manual.’ If it weren’t for talking to other parents of kids with CP, I’d go crazy,” Viele, a parent adviser to the CPFN, said in a press release.

“We want this show to break through that isolation, be a place where parents can learn from other parents and learn about cerebral palsy research and other topics,” said Howell, the show’s co-host.

The trailer for the initiative and first full episode are now available online. The TV program will mainly focus on the topics of therapy, research, resources, community family stories, and challenges.

Cerebral palsy refers to a group of disorders that affects the patient’s ability to move, control muscle movement, and maintain balance and posture. It is the most common motor disability in childhood, and is caused by abnormal brain development or brain damage.

Early signs of cerebral palsy vary greatly because there are different types and levels of disability. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), population studies from around the world reveal there are 1.5 to more than 4 births per 1,000 of children with cerebral palsy. According to data from 2008, many of the children diagnosed with cerebral palsy had at least one associated condition, such as epilepsy (41 percent), and 30.6 percent had limited or no independent walking ability.