Fundraiser begun for Pennsylvania child with cerebral palsy

It’s so extremely sad to learn of a child born with cerebral palsy that there’s usually little to report to concerning such an incident that can be considered positive. Yet friends of families that have given birth to such a child will do everything in their power to be supportive.

A couple in Wilkins (located just outside of Pittsburgh) gave birth to a child that suffers from cerebral palsy and visual impairment. When a co-worker learned of the plight of the family, other fellow employees decided to have a fundraiser for the child and the family. A website was started, and donations for the child’s medical costs have been coming in at around $800 to $1,000 per day.

Such funds will badly be needed. The child needs a feeding tube to eat, and complications from the cerebral palsy often do not allow for him to digest his food properly. The young boy will be attending special camps, and the family will require a variety of expensive equipment for his home care.

Yet the father of the child finds it difficult to accept such money from individuals they do not even know. “It’s humbling to see people willing to give. It’s also heartwarming to know that people are willing to care.”

The child, born in September of 2010, was already suffering from a low-grade fever and lack of movement in the left arm upon his arrival. However, the formal diagnosis of what was really wrong with the boy did not come along until December of 2011.

Sadly, cerebral palsy is often the result of a needless medical mistake. Families should not have to rely on co-workers or friends for costs of care for a child when another party is responsible. When a medical mistake does occur, medical malpractice lawyers can help in making responsible parties for such mistakes accountable.

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “Website raises funds for boy’s medical bills,” by Pamela E. Walck, July 26, 2012