Hope for Cerebral Palsy is proud to be hosting a fundraising event with the screening of an award-winning documentary Unseen: How We’re Failing Parent Caregivers & Why It Matters, a documentary that takes an honest look at the lives of parent caregivers for children and adults who are disabled or medically complex, and a society that doesn’t adequately support them. The screening will take place in person on 21 September 2023 at The Plaza at 10am and 8pm, followed by a message of hope from Jess Ronne founder of the Lucas Project.

An estimated 7.8 million people in the Canada are caring for a child with disabilities or complex medical needs. The demands of daily life and chronic stress can negatively affect the mental and physical wellbeing of parent caregivers. With limited accommodations and uncertainty about the future, caregivers often face isolation and exhaustion. In Unseen, parents are brutally honest about their experience, providing insight such as: “We’re just hanging on by a thread most of the time. The hardest part is that it’s nobody’s fault. It’s not our fault. It’s not his fault. It’s just part of our life.” “Most caregivers are not fine, and they are not doing well.”

Unseen exposes the challenges and barriers faced by many parent caregivers with the goal of increasing support and resources for caregiving families.

About Hope for Cerebral Palsy

Alisha and Liam are South African Canadians and the proud parents to Aiden, who has cerebral palsy (CP). Aiden is a miracle baby born two months premature amidst a traumatic delivery and sustained life-threatening head trauma.

The prognosis for Aiden was filled with uncertainty, they faced the unknowns with Aiden amidst the ongoing COVID pandemic in 2020 in isolation with little to no support.

At the age of four months old Aiden started showing preference in using his left hand. They were offered one physiotherapy session every 4 weeks via zoom. This prompted the couple to urgently search for alternative private help. At the age of six months old when SMILE therapy opened its doors in Calgary, Aiden started attending therapy session and the couple found support and people who saw their son’s value and potential. Over the course of Aiden’s exposure to therapy, including five-day intensives, they witnessed the positive impact on Aiden’s neurological development and milestones. Aiden continues to bloom and has already exceeded the expectations given.

The couple found community among other families going through similar journeys with their own children. They found it surprising how little people knew about cerebral palsy despite it being the most common motor disorder in children.

Hope for Cerebral Palsy was born with its primary mission to fund private therapy sessions to families across Canada. The stress of the diagnosis alone is a lot, let alone the added financial challenges of therapy. Liam and Alisha want to pass on hope to families no matter where they find themselves on the journey, newly diagnosed or desperately searching for therapy options.

Our Vision

To enrich and support the lives of children affected with cerebral palsy and their families by proving access to private early intervention therapies so that they can achieve their full potential.

Our Mission

To promote awareness and understanding of cerebral palsy, which is the most common motor disorder in children.

To sponsor early intervention therapy intensives for Canadian families.

To increase inclusivity towards people living with disabilities. The film is an unfiltered glimpse into the lives of parents caring for children and adults with disabilities or complex medical needs, and opens the discussion about what supports are needed in our community and how you can make a difference. There will be a bonus special footage from Jess Ronne founder of The Lucas Project especially for the Calgary community.

Cerebral Palsy is not curable, however children affected with cerebral palsy can reach their full potential provided they receive the support and proper management. Early intervention is critical to this success.

Therapy forms an important foundation for treating Cerebral Palsy, this includes physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy.

Proceeds from ticket sales gives the gift of movement .

Please email us at hopeforcerebralpalsy@gmail.com if you have any questions

Follow us on Social Media and for more information please check out our website:

https://www.hopeforcerebralpalsy.com

https://www.instagram.com/hope_for_cerebral_palsy

https://www.facebook.com/HopeforCerebralPalsy

For more information: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hope-for-cerebral-palsy-documentary-screening-unseen-tickets-690175773317?aff=ebdssbdestsearch&keep_tld=1