We Need Your Goodwill, Not Your Sympathy!




Can you imagine a life where you require help for every small and basic thing?
 Well this is the kind of life that many unfortunate people are living because of one
 reason or the other. 
One such problem that causes difficulties in life is cerebral palsy.  
 ‘’A SYNDROME WHICH HAS LIMITATIONS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT & POSTURE 
AS THE MAJOR PART , DUE TO AN ‘’INSULT’’ TO THE DEVELOPING BRAIN. 
 CP can occur during pregnancy (about 75 percent), during childbirth (about 5 percent) 
or after birth (about 15 percent) up to about age three.  
30-40 % CP PATIENTS HAVE PROBLEMS WITH COGNITION ( MR ). 
 It is not only the physical disability that a child experiences, there are many psychological effects 
that the problem brings with it. 
A child effected by CP has many questions about how his/her life is going to be as time passes.

Building up the confidence of that person in all that he/she does is very essential. 
If this is not taken care of there are chances of the person getting de- motivated from 
which he/she may not recover. 
The kind of environment in which a CP person lives also plays an important role in shaping 
the future of that person. 
Prolonged physiotherapy sessions, Surgeries and repeated visits to hospitals make a person feel sick of life 
and have a feeling of being a burden on the people around. 
In such situations the support and encouragement of family and friends 
can make miracles happen. 
Being a CP patient I have been very lucky in this matter. 
I got the best of everything. From treatment to love from parents,  my sister and friends. 
I could not have asked for  more. 
My family makes me forget that I have a problem. 
They make me believe that I’m as good as any other person on this earth. 
It is their  love that has made me what I’m today.

It is also important to recognize and develop the interests of such people. 
This will help them over come their grief to an extent. 
They should be encouraged do all the things by themselves and appreciated at every step. 
Apart from teaching them to be physically independent, parents and  
well wishers must think of the academic development of a CP child. 
This will improve their life to a great extent. 
When I started going to school I forgot all my problems and I felt quiet close to normal. 
This was because I was completely occupied with my school, friends, assignments
 and exams. 
It is very important to keep people occupied because 
it will make them forget their problems, at least as long as they are occupied.

No matter how you are, you need to live in the society. 
It is important that all the people of the society accept you as you are. 
This is something that the society needs to learn.
Specially in countries like India differentially abled people are looked down upon as 
it is believed that they cannot be useful to the society. 
This is because of the lack of knowledge of  health problems and how they can be treated. 
Though attempts have been made to provide facilities to special people there are 
many more things that need to come into action.  
Whenever I went to parties or social gatherings people came up to me and said ‘poor child! 
I feel so sorry for you’ 
this attitude of people towards a differentially abled person needs to be changed. 
 I would like to relate to you one such incident. 
I went to a party where one of the guests in the party asked me my name  
and then went on to inquire all about me. 
After listening to me she said ‘I really feel sorry for you child, 
I’m really worried about how your future will be.’
At that moment I felt is this how I’ll have  to live all my life? 
With the sympathy of people? 
I felt very bad and helpless about it. 
I prayed that I should not be in such a situation ever again.

It is my humble request to everyone out there! 
Please DO NOT sympathize with us ,
that will only remind us of our in capabilities and will do no good to us. 
What we need is not your sympathy but your goodwill, blessings and encouragement 
that’ll help us move ahead in life. 
This article is an attempt to bring some change in the approach of  society towards  
differentially abled people which will change their life for better.    

                                                     

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