02 Apr 2017

Cerebral Palsy Organisation chairperson Ms Mysi Badenhorst has pleaded with the community to support the organization with any help they could offer.

Speaking at the end of the awareness walk hosted by the organisation on Saturday, Ms Badenhorst said raising or living with a person living with cerebral palsy could be challenging hence the need to support those living with the disease.

She said children living with the condition were the most challenging and draining to raise as they needed a lot of patience and special resources which sometimes parents could not afford as most were expensive.

Ms Badenhorst called on government, the community, private sector and non-governmental organisations to support parents raising these children.

She said with proper physiotherapy such children could recover and have a normal life with a better future.

Rehabilitation focal person in the Greater Francistown, Ms Omphile Sebopeng applauded the organisation for reaching out to the community, and urged parents who were still shy to take their children out for help to refrain from doing so as they were violating their human rights.

She said physiotherapy at a tender age was essential, encouraging the parents or guardians to also attend counseling sessions to accept the situation they were in.

She advised families, parents or guardians to support one another through the challenges they faced in taking care of these children.

Ms Sebopeng applauded men who came to support their children, couples who supported each other and families who gave support saying that it would give others courage to open up to the world.

She further urged parents and guardians to be strong and have faith on their children even when they faced difficulties and should never stop asking for help from professionals.

One parent, Ms Matlhogonolo Bajiti who has a child living with the disease, requested families to stop calling these children names, ‘then the world could be a better place for all.’

She said through her husband and family support, she managed to survive the challenges of taking care of her 13 year-old son.

Ms Bajiti also urged parents and guardians to have patience and determination and most importantly love their children no matter how hard it might be.

However, she raised a concern about employers who failed to understand the difficulties they were going through in raising such children.

Ms Bajiti urged the community to support them rather than feel pity for them and stop mocking them with harsh words.

Ms Reginah Valentine, who is also living with disability narrated how she got disabled while at her work place and has since continued working after recovering even though the damage was done.

For her part, Khumoyame Manaka, also a parent thanked God for giving her courage to take care of her 8-year-old daughter.

She complained that they were not getting enough education and sensitisation on raising such children, advising that health professionals should arrange workshops to help them and their families to come to terms with their lifestyles. ENDS