Cerebral Palsy Australia
15/09/2010
The Hon. K.L. VINCENT (15:45): I have recently had the honour of taking up the role of ambassador for Cerebral Palsy Australia—a body that works to create a national focus on cerebral palsy in order to promote the interests, rights, roles and wellbeing of people with cerebral palsy. Today I thought I would do my talk about this condition which, as I am sure you would know, happens to be my disability.
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a physical condition that affects movement. Although the exact cause of CP is not yet known, it is understood that it results from damage to the brain usually before birth. In Australia one in 400 babies are diagnosed with cerebral palsy, making it one of the most common physical disabilities in the country. There are several types of cerebral palsy and each affects the way a person moves. Movements can be unpredictable, muscles can be stiff or tight and, in some cases, people may have shaky movements or tremors. People with cerebral palsy may also have seizures and other impediments affecting their speech, vision, hearing and/or intellect.
I, myself, have the most common form of CP, spastic CP. Physios and doctors have never been able to quite reach agreement on which type of spastic CP I actually have, given that my upper body spasticity is too great to be diplegic, meaning only the lower limbs are affected, and not great enough for me to be quadriplegic, so perhaps it would help if I clarified by saying that I get most of my spasticity in my right leg and left arm with some spasticity in my spine and neck. Imagine clenching your fists and holding them there for about a minute, I am told that that feeling is similar to what I have in my muscles every day.
This affects me and others with my condition in a variety of ways. It is not exactly a secret that walking and I do not get on very well. I can also experience muscle spasms and fatigue related to the tension in my body. Sometimes I may look tired due to this, even when I do not feel particularly fatigued. It is just my muscles saying that they are basically a bit fed up.
Of course, cerebral palsy can also result in a need for support with tasks such as showering, toileting, dressing, cooking, shopping, etc. A report commissioned by CP Australia on the cost of cerebral palsy estimates that 33,797 Australians had cerebral palsy in 2007 at an annual financial cost of $43,431 per person. The cost to the individual is estimated at 36.7 per cent of the total or $306 per week. Unfortunately this means that many people with CP are among those currently on the government’s infamous unmet needs list for such services and may even be missing out on vital services that the government does not fund, including physiotherapy for example.
Despite the fact that it can sometimes make my life a little difficult, I can honestly say that cerebral palsy is one of the best things that has ever happened to me in that it has contributed to making me the person I am today and effectively led to my presence in this chamber today. This is why I am very honoured and excited to begin working with Cerebral Palsy Australia and encourage members to keep an eye on this great organisation’s important work.
