Father relates difficulties of raising son with CP

KUCHING: Chi Poh Yong recently quit his job in order to commit himself to the running of Wishesland Kuching – the charitable body that serves as a rehabilitation centre for children with cerebral palsy (CP).

Chi, whose son has CP, said most parents who have children with CP are under great pressure.

“At times, the father cannot understand why this happened to him. Sometimes, the grandparents cannotacceptthattheirgrandchild is with this disability,” he related during the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Kuching and Wishesland Kuching charity night on Thursday.

Chi said his son suffered serious cramps during birth and was crying uncontrollably for the first week.

He believes many cannot even imagine what he and his family have gone through, explaining that many individuals with CP are bedridden as they are unable to stand or walk, requiring roundthe-clock care.

“Some of them cannot even drink or eat. In order to feed them, a tube has to be inserted right through the abdomen. Many children with CP live up to 10 to 15 years old.

“CP is often due to damage to the brain either during pregnancy or after birth. Sometimes, infants who did not get treated from high fever also ended up with CP,” he said.

He said Wishesland Kuching recently welcomed a two-year-old girl, who underwent surgery in India that left her brain deprived of oxygen, leading to brain damage.

“The girl and her family returned to Kuching two weeks ago. She was referred to Wishesland Kuching by Sarawak General Hospital,” he said.

Chi called on parents of children with CP not to give up hope, citing the success of Malaysia’s Paralympic gold medallist Mohamad Ridzuan Mohamad Puzi.

He also called on the public to encourage parents whose children have disabilities, be it CP, Down Syndrome or autism, to brace for the challenge and look after their children’s needs.

CP is an umbrella term that refers to a group of life-long disorders affecting a person’s ability to move.

It is due to damage to the developing brain either during pregnancy or shortly after birth.

CP affects people in different ways and can affect body movement, muscle control, reflex, posture and balance, which can improve or worsen over time.

People who have CP may have visual, learning, hearing, speech and intellectual impairments as well as epilepsy.

Some 17 million worldwide live with CP. people