Hope is the greatest gift

Story by Caroline Njenga

Children are like flowers and little angles, beautiful little people who give the world a different meaning. Everyone yearns for a child in his/her future but no one ever thinks that this child could have a disability. What I have learn in my one month internship is that a child born with disability or a condition like Cerebral Palsy sticks closer to a parent and desires attention at all times.

Fear of rejection and stigma is the biggest problem facing parents with children with cerebral palsy. Many are times parents fear to tell the world of their children’s conditions in fear of rejection. In addition therapy for cerebral palsy affected children is extremely expensive. Cerebral Society of Kenya gives parents like this a shoulder to lean on and conducts therapy for these children at a much subsidized fee.

Being at the institution for a period of time, I have learnt a lot on how to live with these children and how to help them live a near normal life. These children attend therapy twice a week and the parents are taught how to massage them at home. This frequent therapy helps in managing the condition of the children and prevents a child from getting worse or developing a secondary deformity.

Hope is the greatest strength these parents have; hope that their babies will get better with time and more therapy. As they line up for therapy, they share their experiences and comfort one another.
Despite their work being voluntary the therapists at CPSK love their job as they love the children. “Helping a child like this one is like giving back to God,” said Augustine Sinino.

CAROLINE MILKA NJENGA