Let's go back to October 2024... By Katie Winn
The 6th October 2024 was World Cerebral Palsy (CP) Day and this year’s theme is #uniquelyCP. At Little Victories, we believe that all our players are unique in their own ways and today is the day for celebrating that!
In our little corner of the world, no child is left behind due to the things that they cannot do/control, we embrace every single difference in our players, and we strive to make a safe space for them to grow and expand their sporting skills.
I’m sure that 99.9% of the people reading this will know exactly what Cerebral Palsy is and some of the ways that it can effect people but just in case there is that 0.1% that have no idea, let’s explore what Cerebral Palsy actually is before we discuss why recognising the day is so important to not only our players, but to disabled people in general.
According to NHS England, Cerebral palsy “is the name for a group of lifelong conditions that affect movement and co-ordination. It's caused by a problem with the brain that develops before, during or soon after birth” and effects people in a variety of different ways; there is no one way that someone with Cerebral Palsy should look. Some people may use walking aids, some may not.
As this year’s theme is #uniquelyCP, we wanted to take this opportunity to share with you some of the journeys that our players have been on in their lives, navigating how to live life to the fullest whilst balancing a disability they might not even understand yet.
Franky, Coopa, Finely, Jess and twins Herbie and Henry are all children who have the condition and, just as I said earlier, really show how dynamic and versatile CP is to live with.
Let’s start with Coopa’s story:
"Coopa was diagnosed with CP at around 18 months old. As her parents, we knew there was something not quite right, but whenever we questioned this, we were told it was because she was a premature baby. Coopa was born at 32 weeks and 6 days. Her diagnosis was a complete shock and hit us hard, but as a strong family unit, we got through it, and now Coopa is the most determined little lady we know. CP obviously makes her upset at times, but she has the best friends around her who treat her like everyone else, and she’s smashing high school. She had major surgery (SDR) at the age of 5, and although she cannot walk without aid, this operation totally changed her life, and now she works so hard with physio and everything she does! There’s not a thing that could possibly stop her from playing football; she loves it."
Thank you Coopa and her family, for sharing their story.
Our Coopa
To LV, Coopa is dynamite, especially as a goalie. Her strength, determination and passion for the game make her a force to be reckoned with in our tournaments and friendly games within our sessions. When she puts her mind to it, Coopa really is genuinely unstoppable and is our very own Mary Earps. Keep it up Coops!
Next up, we have Franky’s story:
"This is Franky, 6 years old and he is UNSTOPPABLE. Cerebral Palsy does not stop him, he may do things differently to others but he will always give it his all in trying. He is a serious force to be reckoned with, who is such a shining light. He has gone through major surgery, 100's of medical appointments, hours and hours of physiotherapy to get to where he is now and he makes us so unbelievably proud. His football skills are not to be messed with, the speed he can reach on his walking frame could give Usain Bolt a run for his money, the way he can manoeuvre in his wheelchair all by himself is admirable. Franky has challenges ahead but I know with his passion, grit and determination he will go far in life and nothing will get in his way. He is a true Cerebral Palsy Warrior."
Thank you Franky and his family for sharing their story.
Franky is completely amazing! Every single session he attends, you can always count on Franky to try his absolute hardest. With strength and speed, Franky is a complete force both on and off the field!
Our Franky
Cerebral Palsy is the most common childhood motor disability in the world with over 17 million people globally having been diagnosed at this moment in time.
There is no cure for Cerebral Palsy so there is never the option to “lose” a person’s Cerebral Palsy (this is why it is referred to as a childhood disability- childhood in this context meaning: occurs in childhood and remaining throughout adulthood) however there are various treatments. As said in both Franky and Coopa’s stories, there are many surgical procedures, physio treatments and orthotics to help aid the systems of CP.
Finley's mum is up next telling us their story:
"My son got diagnosed with cerebral palsy at 2 years of age. I was told he may never walk, and he may never talk. The first thing that came to my mind was that I would never be able to walk down the street holding my son’s hand and he would never be able to call me “Mummy”. Thoughts that consumed my mind, although looking back now, I needn’t have worried.
It is not his disability that makes him unique, nor his walking stance compared to others, or the fact he wears splints to aid his mobility, it is his ability to get up every single day and strive for everything neurotypical children can do without giving it a second thought and he never once complains!
Through surgery, physiotherapy but most of all his pure drive and determination, he now not only walks but was able to actively take part last year in his first school sports day. He also participates in a weekly frame football group where children with all types of cerebral palsy come together to celebrate their differences and enjoy sport together, with no judgement. This was the first time my son had ever seen anybody else with a walking frame, who was like him.
A disability may be limiting but it does not limit one’s drive, will power and determination to be able to achieve things that others may take for granted. I look forward to watching him grow and to see what else he can achieve in the years to come."
Thank you to Finley and his mum for sharing their story.
Our Finley
Finley is one of the happiest players that comes to LV. He is always happy to share and he is always willing to get stuck in with what ever task any of his coaches might give him, he is a pleasure to be able to coach!
In their own words, Henry and Herbie tell their story:
"Today is all about celebrating people like us and raising awareness about the challenges we face. It’s easy to focus on the difficulties, but we believe the victories we experience far outweigh the losses. Every time we accomplish something, whether it’s mastering a new skill or making a new friend, it feels like a huge win. We are proud of who we are and how we inspire others to see beyond the challenges. Together, we can show the world that our abilities shine brighter than our limitations and that’s going to be one exciting journey for us!"
Thank you Henry and Herbie for sharing your story.
Our Herbie and Henry
The confidence that these two boys have is amazing. At just 11 years old, they are Active Humber Young Ambassadors, and they do the title proud. Just like all of our players, Henry and Herbie strive to make sure sports becomes and remains accessible to everyone, especially those with adverse needs requirements. Well done boys!
Finally we have player Jess’ story told by her mum:
"Jess was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at about 18 months old. We knew she was developing differently from her brother, but we had not conceived the thought of a brain injury.
We were left to deal with the diagnosis, but Jess dragged us along with her cheeky, smiling personality and her “I will do anything I want to” attitude! This is how she continues at the age of 9 years now.
Having CP makes her sad as it involves painful procedures and certain things are more difficult, but it also makes her different. However, it also makes her happy because she has so many new special friends that have CP too, and they play football as a family each week, which helps her feel less different. Our CP sports family helps us remember that our children are unique and can achieve greatness."
Our Jess
Thank you Jess and her Family for sharing their story.
Jess is amazing! Always kind to any new player, ready to help the coaches when they need it and like Henry and Herbie, Jess is an Active Humber Young Ambassador. Like all our players, Jess really shines with her determination, team working abilities and attitude. Keep it up Jess!
Every single one of the people who are a part of Club LV is important to the volunteers who make it happen every week, without you guys, there would quite literally be no club! Over the last year I have been a part of the Little Victories family, I have always thought of our club as more than a football club. I am aware that scoring that final goal or mastering the skills you’ve always wanted to is important but LV is so much more than that!
Little Victories is a community, where families can have time with other people who get it and where our players can meet children, possibly for the first time, who look like them! As a disabled adult looking back onto my childhood, I cannot begin to explain just how cool and necessary it is for children and young people who don’t see themselves represented in sporting circles, to meet and be in it together.
CP really does effect different people in different ways and there’s really no one size fits all in how you should manage it or even come to terms with it so this year’s theme really does hit the nail on the head with #uniquelyCP.
It is unique to you, no two people experience Cerebral Palsy the same. Everyone at LV understands that there are good days and bad days when you have a disability; sometimes these come physically with things like pain etc. and sometimes these could be how you actually think about having Cerebral Palsy.
It’s okay if one day you are really happy and then the next you are really sad to have CP. I know that even now I still have those days where I can get really happy and really sad, sometimes even in the same day: and I’ve been diagnosed over 20 years now (which now as I’m writing that, that’s actually a really long time!)
I want you all to remember this World CP Day that we are all unique and we should be proud of that, even if sometimes it feels hard to. As well as this, we, as adults, need to remember that the way we speak about disability, changes the way that they feel about disability, and it really could mean all the difference.
Happy World Cerebral Palsy Day 2024 from the LV Family!
By Katie Winn (centre)
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