Mother of cerebral palsy inflicted child cries for help (pictures)

SANFROSSA MANYINDA writes

A 31 YEAR old woman of Chunga Township in Lusaka has called on well-wishers to come on board and help her 10 year old son who has been living with cerebral palsy (a condition marked by impaired muscle coordination typically caused by damage to the brain before or at birth) since he was eight months old.

Mwanidah Sakala said in an interview on Monday that she and her husband have been having challenges when it comes to taking care of their child, Raphael Mwandu.
Ms. Sakala said that the boy was a normal child from the time he was born up until the time he was 8 months when he suddenly stopped sitting after seizures.
She said that the boy only had challenges in the first days after he was born due to the fact that he did not cry immediately.
She said that they had stayed in hospital for two weeks after he was born, stressing that she at some point thought that the child had stopped walking because of the 14 injections he was given on his left foot.
Ms. Sakala said that she wanted her child to be enrolled into a special school so that he could attain quality education just like other normal children.
She said that she was tired of people laughing at her because of her child’s condition every time she moved around with him on her back in the area.

She said that she would appreciate whatever help from anyone especially getting the child a wheelchair or a special chair because her body ached from carrying the boy on her back everywhere she went.
“My husband does not get enough money from his job and the needs of the child are so many as a special child. He does not eat ordinary food, he only eats yoghurt, custard, cereals and only drinks sour milk, and fresh milk.,
“ We also need to buy diapers every day because he cannot talk and tell us that he wants to go to the toilet. So we will accept whatever help we can get from anyone,” she said.
She also said that the medicine that the boy took every day is expensive as it cost K250 per 100 mls and only lasted for 2 weeks.
Ms. Sakala however said that the boy currently attends physiotherapy at Cheshire Homes in Matero Township and that his situation had somehow improved.
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of permanent movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time.
Often, symptoms include poor coordination, stiff muscles, weak muscles, and tremors.
There may be problems with sensation, vision, and hearing, swallowing, and speaking. Often, babies with cerebral palsy do not roll over, sit, crawl or walk as normal kids.