Dedicated to all those who thrive with Cerebral Palsy

Preview audio:

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My Bestfriend Walks Funny

By: Emma Kingsley

A book about cerebral palsy for 8-10 year olds

Division of Kingsley Enterprises

Publishes in the USA

First edition, September 2020

Cerebral Palsy; sounds weird right? Well, there are people in the world that have this medical problem. It might look like a complicated word but really it just means that some boys and girls have a little more difficulty getting around with everyday life.

You and I can get around, run and play without a problem, but for some people with cerebral palsy its a little more tricky. This affects your brain and central nervous system. You can get it before or after birth.

Introduction

Kids and adults with cerebral palsy, walking, talking, or having a conversation can be difficult. Every person with cerebral palsy has their own obstacle to overcome. If a person doesn't have physical therapy they could have trouble interacting with the environment around them

Let me tell you about my best friend Cindy "Finn" Finch, who lives a fun life with cerebral palsy.

Chapter 1: A Baby is Coming!

Mr. and Mrs. Finch live one block away from my house. They have 2 fluffy dogs, and a feisty cat, but wanted to have a baby to share their lives with. When Mrs. Finch found out she was pregnant it was one of the happiest moments in their lives. They went to all the doctor's visits and parenting classes and were really looking forward to a happy baby girl. At their last doctors' visit the doctor was concerned.

Chapter 2: A Baby is Born with Problems

At the doctors, medical machines showed that the blood flow in the baby's brain wasn't right. The doctor was worried that there could be some damage to the baby's brain. When the baby was born is was a little girl that looked healthy. The little baby didn't eat well and was taken to a special children's hospital. X-rays and pictures of the brain showed that the baby had possible brain damage. She stayed at that hospital for one month becaus she wasn't eating right.

Chapter 3: It was a Hard Beginning

The little baby girl came home from the hospital but had a lot of health problems. She needed help with eating and had to go to special physical therapy doctors. As she got older she needed help with learning and she needed help with physical activity. Her problems were because of an injury to her brain before she was born. The doctors diagnosed her with cerebral palsy. She had to go a special school for kids that needed extra help.

At first, it was hard for her to adjust to this special school. She made a couple of friends there and started to like her teachers. Soon, she began to do very well at this school. So well that, her teacher and she talked about her going to the school all the kids in her neighborhood go to. She moved to my school and had the same classes that I did. She sat next to me in all of my classes because of assigned seating. When she walked into the classroom everyone stopped and stared at her. I was embarrassed when she had to sit next to me.