Photo by Natasha Connell
The story of Facing the Challenge, Beating the Odds is an inspirational memoir cerebral palsy book that showcases the power of faith, determination, and love despite a most difficult circumstance at birth. Jimmy Mulzet uses his memoir to inspire others to never give up on their dreams despite having been born with cerebral palsy and initially expected to live dependently on others.
Still, such stories also create timely teaching moments for parents, educators, and first-time disability advocates when it comes to recognizing cerebral palsy in infancy. Much like other similar developmental disabilities, spotting the signs and getting a diagnosis can prove pivotal when it comes to preparing the necessary intervention.
Most importantly, it can help families prepare to give any diagnosed child all the tools, support, and love they need to thrive. Jimmy’s story is a great example of what happens when parents try their best to acknowledge something is wrong and have the courage to raise Jimmy regardless of the challenges that lay ahead of him.
So, what are the risk factors that could lead to a child being born with the condition? According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), these include low birth weight, exposure to toxic chemicals as well as infection.
When such events happen, parents really have a responsibility to prepare for the worst, even while hoping for the best. This preparation comes in two parts.
#1. Trusting Parental Instincts When Recognizing Cerebral Palsy In Infancy
Photo by Oleksandr Zbanduto
In Jimmy’s story, not even the doctor was able to sense right away that he had a condition. It was only when his mother sensed a strange lump at the back of his head and noticed that he wouldn’t lie down properly that she felt something was wrong.
This is where a proper diagnosis was made, even though it was very much bad news for the parents. Still, doing so set the stage for managing the early symptoms of cerebral palsy across the later stages of his life. This included a supportive faith upbringing, constant attention to special needs, and allowing Jimmy to pursue independence eventually.
It really highlights the critical impact of parental instincts when it comes to sensing the signs. Among the subtle things that these instincts can detect include:
- Baby muscle stiffness or floppiness.
- Difficulty sitting up.
- Bad coordination or movements.
- Inability to crawl.
- High sensitivity to touch.
These signs can be missed even by doctors during check-ups (as demonstrated in Jimmy’s story). On the other hand, attentive parents have a good track record of picking these up long before any formal testing. They are the first line of observation, and their insights should be treated with serious consideration when discussing the possibility of developmental disorders like cerebral palsy.
#2. Getting Ready to Be Supportive, No Matter the Odds
Photo by Jian Lu
Jimmy himself gives plenty of credit to his parents, who showed tremendous faith despite the really dismal expectations that doctors had set when he was an infant. In fact, there were definitely life-threatening moments before he even reached his toddler years!
But in spite of such traumatic events, they held on to the hope that Jimmy would live, grow up, and be a miraculous example of resilience and determination. Even if they had to tackle his infant motor skill delays or how he’ll navigate school, they were ready.
For some, this might be too much (especially for those predisposed to anxiety disorders or depression). However, it actually proves why recognizing cerebral palsy in infancy can be a major turning point. The earlier parents confront the possibility, the more time they give themselves to go through the motions. It is the gentlest way they can give themselves room to process the diagnosis and be ready for what lies ahead.
From there, it can get easier to exercise best practices like disability awareness and make the most of the support given to those with cerebral palsy. It also gives families the opportunity to seek out community, faith-based resources and therapies that are proven to improve both physical outcomes and emotional resilience over time.
An Extra Footnote on Faith, Disability, and Early Detection
On the subject of faith-based resources, Jimmy is actually just one of many testimonies of people with disability who have had positive outcomes from a supportive church life. His shining moment of meeting St. Pope John Paul II on World Youth Day stands as an example of how religious institutions genuinely advocate for those on the margins, even in the modern age.
And in its own strange way, faith and spirituality have a correlation with the instincts that lead to recognizing cerebral palsy in infancy.
But in any case, it is important for parents to really be vigilant when the risk factors have arisen during a pregnancy. There is no serious medical professional who would discount the possibility of conditions like cerebral palsy, no matter how early the concern is raised. Be not afraid to watch for the signs, and also be assured that there is still hope.
Just ask Jimmy.
If you’d also like to learn more about how early detection, faith and determination saw Jimmy through to an independent life, then know you can find all details of his story in Facing the Challenge, Beating the Odds. It’s available on Amazon!
