CerebralPalsy - How it affects Me(Pranav)?

Cerebral Palsy is very Unique. Its different for each individual. Although it is unique, in general thereare few things that are common and understandable by someone who has CP or by someone who looks after someone with CP.

Pranav is verbal and very expressive. It's really important to create awareness about CP, how he feels and what he goes through and how he challenges himself to achieve his dreams. I write here in his own words.


Braces/Splints: I wear my Splints all day. It helps me to do assisting standing up and assisted walking. It also helps my leg bones to grow in a right direction.

Sitting Posture: Its hard for me to sit-up nice and straight as my core is not strong enough. I try to make my core strong by doing physio. Sometimes it is very hard to continue my physiotherapy after coming back from school, as I get tired. Although I keep hearing how important it is, it is so hard to push myself beyond my strength. 

Night Battles: My parents put me in sleep system or in gaiters to keep my legs straight during night times. This will help my hip bones to grow in the right direction. This will avoid any hip dislocations. And at night the sleep system help my legs to keep them straight and to have a bit of stretch to my hamstrings.

Loud Noise: Loud Noise really hurts my ears and I don't feel comfortable at all. It makes me sick. I avoided many parties most of the time with the fear that I get sick. But my Mom and Dad keep telling me that not all parties make me sick. They just help me to come out of my bad mind. I had recently attended my friends birthday parties. So I believe I overcome the fear of attending parties. I kicked the butt of my bad mind by saying 'can, can I can attend parties'. I use ear defenders to avoid loud noises.

Eye Sight (Amblyopia): My vision is not clear for far distances. And also I struggle to read my books as my left eye sight is Weaker that the right eyesight. This condition is known as Amblyopia. But Mom and my teachers say I am really doing good with my reading levels. I believe I keep challenging my vision and reading ability.

VoiceControl: My condition CP control the muscles all over my body. Sometimes I lose the control of my voice esp when I am excited. But sometimes me being cheeky chose to scream just like any other child.

I'm Just a MOM..Stays At Home

I'm really glad to write a  few lines about a mum who attends special needs of her own children and how it affects their life and how wise she acts and how quick she learns on the go. 

Mother's Day Card n Letter By Pranav

Today Pranav gave me a Mother's Day Greeting Card written by himself(with his own hands). He made it at school and got home. Having Quad CP, writing a letter to mum for the first time, you made me so proud today.  Proud Mamma writes few lines for you...

SDR Assessment For The First Time Ever

SDR - Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy is.a.lofe changing surgery for children and adults. It's showing great results for children with cerebral palsy as this surgery will permanently remove the spasticity from their legs. It is making wonders with children who is Diplegic CP and GMFCS level with in the range of 1-3.

Pranav Walking(holding the bars) After Botox

Pranav was admitted to the day ward for surgery. He was really brave during this process. He allowed to give anesthesia through his hands(although its painful). 

After Botox, Pranav's spasticity is reduced a bit. Due to weight constraint, he has got a limited dose of botox. It took a week to see the change in his spasticity.

Although there is no significant change in the spasticity, Pranav showed the siginificant change in his walking pattern. He is able to walk holding the bars without our support. He did not want us to hold!!! He wanted to walk by himself. But still, we safeguard around him as he needs balance and strength to the left arm. His scissoring pattern is reduced a lot while holding the bars. It's a great change!!

I have uploaded the video here. After seeing him walking, I feel he is really determined to walk independently.

The Journey Of 5 Years

The biggest step in our lives all through the 5 years, he started his schooling. He is doing great at school. He has been a real superhero in his class keeping the cheerful smile always. The good thing is he is enjoying with his peers at school.He gets socialised very well.He always comes up with a can-do attitude and a powerful smile. Being his mother sometimes I get deprived about his condition. His determination and his words give me strength. His smile gives us lots of energy.  I pray the god that he continues his schooling like any other child to have the experience of learning.

MOTHER IN ME

Pre-Mature birth, low birth weight, hypoglycemia, gestational diabetes, a woman who has experienced all these with her newborn baby and also has seen her mother's sudden demise on the same day. With God's grace and with her husband support she is going still strong. Life changes her from sensitive girl to a powerful mother with a sensible heart.


Cerebral Palsy is a condition which immobilizes a child physically.  Sometimes it could affect a child mental ability too. A child with cerebral palsy needs utmost care and treatment. The battle of motherhood taught me, unconditional love and selfless love. It is hard to accept that life changes completely. But with growing time and needs, I get used to looking after my son who has cerebral palsy.

The primary initiative in writing this post is to accept the unexpected changes in our lives and how to be positive. My son was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when he was 12 months old. I could not accept that it had happened to my son. The feeling was heart stabbing.  Moreover, I was in trauma with my mother's loss. There were many sleepless nights in this journey. It took for me, two years to understand what is cerebral palsy. I have come to a phase of life, preparing for the worst is the best. I imagine myself how I react if I was disabled. One of the lessons I have learnt is the value of happiness. Mother's happiness gives immense strength to her children. I try to be happy most of the times. I want to be his inspiration and want to give him the best brought up in facing challenges. So far, I am glad to see my son happily smiling. He is such a joy to care and to teach. Moving forward with his positives, makes life very much elegant.

It was so hard to take time for myself. I was very much isolated. But during this period I have learned a lot. Although it was hard to step out of the home the world was so transparent to me. Transparency of the world is ignorance, sympathetic and underestimation. 'Mother In Me' has taught me not to care about negative emotions. Sometimes I become blind and deaf to the negative emotions around me. After all, I have just seen 6 Years of motherhood, yet a lot to face.  However, in this journey, I met people with a pure heart and true love too.  The strength and love I get from them are immense. Mother in me changed the perception, how I look at the world.

 So far my journey has lot many hardships,  sacrifices, ignorance, but lessons learnt are plenty. I wouldn't be honest if I say there are no regrets. Regrets are like I should have found the delay in milestones at the earliest, so I could have started the treatment sooner. I should have done my driving test before even having a kid as I know now how important is to be independent with frequent hospital appointments.

Like I said the lessons learnt are plenty.  Now I am in a position to share my views or my experiences with someone who looks after the cerebral palsy child. I enjoy every skill I teach my child. I'm so proud of every milestone he achieved. The awareness about cerebral palsy is very little in all the aspects.  I feel privileged to work on cerebral palsy awareness through my son facebook page. I am glad that my son shows my Mother In Me, through my actions.