International Alliance for Pediatric Stroke

As children with cerebral palsy grow older, some parents find they are able to replace traditional therapies with sports and other physical activities. This move is now backed by research: strength training can improve mobility in some children with cerebral palsy.

Adela is an 8 year-old stroke warrior who has several diagnoses or comorbidities that are secondary to her stroke. In this article, Adela and her mother, Kristal, share her story as well as some of the interventions they've tried to manage some of these secondary diagnoses, particularly a left functional hemispherotomy to treat epilepsy.

RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS NEEDED The University of Wisconsin-Madison Pediatric Neuromodulation Lab is recruiting participants for its Baby Brain Recovery Study. The study aims to assess, over the first two years of life, recovery and development of the infant brain and function after perinatal stroke. The group is recruiting families with infants between the ages of 0 - 6 months who have a history of early brain injury, like stroke. The visits will take place at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Waisman Center in Madison, Wisconsin. There will be 4 - 5 study visits over 2 years and financial support for travel is available. More information about the research study can be found here: https://lnkd.in/egsVbv5D If you're interested in participating or if you'd like more information, please contact the Lab directly at 806-381-2699 or via email at brainrecovery@pediatrics.wisc.edu.

Diana Cejas was a 25 year old medical student when she discovered a lump in her neck. She was dismissed by several doctors and was eventually diagnosed with cancer. Five years later, she had a stroke. In this article, she discusses the challenges of not being taken seriously in a doctor's office and also the hurdles of getting necessary accommodations in the workplace as a disabled person. While this article is not specific to our pediatric population, Dr. Cejas' advice and message will strongly resonate with our community.

A sudden onset of seizures in childhood are one symptom of stroke, as illustrated in this story about 10 month old Luke. Fortunately, his parents got him immediate medical attention to not only get his #seizures under control, but to start intervention to help him start healing from #stroke. To see more signs and symptoms of stroke in childhood, please see our fact sheet here: https://lnkd.in/eEWjDN83

Colin Farrell is most well-known for his on-screen performances, but what many are just learning is that he's also Dad to a 20 year-old son who has the medical diagnosis Angelman Syndrome. This week, Farrell has come forward to announce the start of his foundation, the Colin Farrell Foundation, which will support families of disabled children, particularly as they age out of the school system. "Farrell hopes that his son will be able to live in a world full of kindness and hope. 'I want the world to be kind to James,' the actor tells PEOPLE. 'I want the world to treat him with kindness and respect.'" While his son's diagnosis is different than pediatric stroke, we think his story, message, and mission will resonate with many parents and families in our community.

Parenting a child with disabilities can feel stressful and lonely. Fortunately, for caregivers, there are tools to help. One tool is Child Neurology Foundation's upcoming online caregiver course From Surviving to Thriving: Building a Community to Support Mental Well-Being. "From Surviving to Thriving: Building a Community to Support Mental Well-Being is intended to provide support for families with children with complex healthcare needs. Families will learn strategies to successfully manage the challenges of parenting a child with a neurologic condition so they can protect the mental well-being of themselves and members of their family. To allow for more flexibility for participants this training will be 100% virtual. Participants will be able to talk with other participants through an online forum. Forums will be facilitated by our certified counselor, Brad Thompson." Course cost is just $10 (note: there is a coupon code listed on registration page) and registration opens up on August 19th.

Child Neurology Foundation recently launched a wonderful new resource: CNF Learning Portal. This site is dedicated to learning and growth, and hosts courses for caregivers, medical professionals (with CME credits), and family support specialists.

If you missed any of our #RootedInResistence posts last month, you can now catch up on all submissions in our new video, available on our YouTube channel: https://lnkd.in/eKFwigmM #pediatricstroke #strokeawareness #resilience

Stroke Awareness Month kicked off today with our "What is Resilience" campaign. Follow along and learn what the term "resilience" means to those in our community! Facebook: https://lnkd.in/gtjrjsAY; Twitter/X @StrokePediatric; Instagram @stroke.pediatric #StrokeAwarenessMonth #PediatricStroke