Mothers of children with cerebral palsy given respite

Mothers of children with cerebral palsy have been given a treat intended to make them relax and feel pampered.

The mothers were taken through body massage, pedicure and manicure while they enjoyed a cocktail of dishes and soothing music free of charge

Ms. Sylvia Kusi –Appouh, mother of a child with cerebral palsy who opened her home  for the mothers and ensured that they felt pampered said she knows what mothers of children with cerebral palsy go through so she felt the need to  make them feel pampered.

The event dubbed:  respite pampering brought together about 25 mothers of children with cerebral palsy.

It was an occasion for the mothers to share experiences, jokes and have fun while learning from one another.

Many of the mothers who attended the event were full of praise for Ms. Kusi-Appouh’s family and friends for making the event a success and called for more of such events.

Ms. Kusi-Appouh expressed gratitude to Malom Foods, Rubies House of beauty and Serwaa Bags for their support.

Seek help – Mothers with CP children told

Mr Emmanuel Ampofo, a cognitive behavioral psychotherapist has advised mothers with children who have cerebral palsy to seek help when necessary to avoid being depressed.

Mr Emmanuel Ampofo, addressing the mothers

He also advised the mothers to accept their children as gifts from God and be content, saying, avoid comparing yourselves to others.

Mr Ampofo gave the advice at a meeting organized by the Special Mothers Project, an advocacy and awareness creation programme on cerebral palsy

The meeting assembled about 26 mothers with children who have cerebral palsy to share experiences and look at the way forward for the advocacy campaign

Mr Ampofo a member of Mending Minds, an organization that supports people in bereavements, spoke on depression and how to deal with it  and commended the Special Mothers Project for the work they are doing calling for more collaboration.

Mrs Hannah Awadzi, Initiator of the Special Mothers Project explained that the project provides a platform to link Mothers with free and affordable services

“For instance at our meeting today, mothers filled a needs-assessment form and we try to point them to where they can receive help.”

The project also tries to coordinate the scattered cerebral palsy activities going on in Ghana to make it easier for families to get help

Mrs Awadzi expressed her gratitude to Blue Skies Company, Dels Foundation; Mending Minds, Mmofra place and Givers Never Lack Foundation for making the meeting successful.

Mother of child with cerebral palsy starts an Inclusive educational centre for children

Children with their Care-givers at the Centre

Mrs Ellen Affam-Dadzie, Mother of a seven years old girl with cerebral palsy has started an inclusive educational centre to enable parents of especially children with cerebral palsy the opportunity to work and earn an income.

The Centre “With God cerebral palsy Ghana” also offer physiotherapy services and provide quality care for children with cerebral palsy for free

Mrs Affam-Dadzie in an interview with the media said she knows how stressful and frustrating it is to have a child with cerebral palsy and decided to offer support this way to enable especially mothers of such children to earn an income.

“I do not believe that any family or person should become poor simply because they had a child with cerebral palsy, the mothers’ inability to work among other factors is what causes many families to kills these children or even wish their children dead,” she said.

Mrs Affam-Dadzie said since government was not doing much to support children with cerebral palsy and their families she decided to start the centre as her contribution to support such families in her own small way.

“We also intend to set the mothers up in small enterprises so we train the unemployed mothers in soap making, batik and tie and dye making, beads and accessories among other” and we hope that corporate organizations will come on board to help us enhance the lives of families with children who have cerebral palsy.

 The With God cerebral palsy Ghana Centre also give the children with cerebral palsy an opportunity to mingle with other children, we are practicing inclusion, Mrs Affam-Dadzie said calling on government to ensure that the inclusive education policy embraces majority of children with cerebral palsy if not all.

She said the very few schools in Ghana that admits children with cerebral palsy were very expensive, many cannot afford, and so what happens to the majority out there.

Mrs Hannah Awadzi, Initiator of the Special Mothers Project lauded the initiative saying “this is what the project is looking for; we need mothers to take up the fight for services and do something to help children with cerebral palsy.

She called on government and corporate organizations to support the centre and make it thrive while calling for more volunteers home and abroad to help make the With God Cerebral Palsy Centre viable