Did you know that March is Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month?
My family has experience with cerebral palsy, as my son Benjamin was diagnosed with spastic quadriplegia at just 10 months old. He was a triplet and was born very prematurely with his brother and sister. The prematurity contributed to brain trauma which resulted in his diagnosis. I have personal experience of others’ reactions to cerebral palsy … people turning and looking away, not acknowledging my son, speaking to his brother/sister but not addressing him or even looking at him, going down other aisles in the store to avoid the wheelchair, and even the periodic ‘oh I’m so sorry’ when talking about him. Once we lost Benjamin to respiratory failure in 2016, I felt I needed to do my part to support these special families and to raise awareness that kids with disabilities are still children. They can still enjoy life and have friends, play, dream and have smiles.
This is why we established Ben Smiles Memorial Foundation and why I developed this Ben’s Adventures book series.
And to continue to do my part in spreading awareness during this month, I have decided to DONATE a signed hardcover Ben’s Adventures: A Day at the Beach to any school or organization of your choice for very book purchased. You buy a book and I will donate one - just tell me where to send it. To make this work at checkout, please select books in quantities of two (1 to buy, 1 to donate) and use code DONATE. I will then followup with you to make sure the donated book is sent out to the organization of your choice in your name.
Cerebral Palsy facts:
Cerebral Palsy is a common disability identified in early childhood
There are 10,000 new cases diagnosed each year.
Physical disability does not necessarily mean cognitive disability.
Disability can range from minimal to profound, 40% of kids with CP will have a severe case.
Today, there are 17 million living with CP.
One in every 323 babies will be affected by some form of cerebral palsy.