‘Spastic’ Is No More

10 Feb 2011: The Spastic Centre has been around in Australia, since 1945, and is one of our most well known charities.

The organisation was created after a group of parents of children with Cerebral Palsy, wanted somewhere that they could take their children, which was specifically equipped to treat and care for them.

The first centre was set up in a loaned house in Mosman, NSW. To begin with, there were fourteen children who attended. By the end of the year, that number had grown to 40!

With this growth, parents and friends of children with Cerebral Palsy gathered together and volunteered their time, and muscle power, to help build McLeod House, a centre which was named after two of the parents that helped out, Neil and Audrie McLeod, they cared for their daughter Jennifer, who was born with Cerebral Palsy.

Despite some negative connotations the word spastic may carry these days, back in the 40’s, the name was chosen to depict one of the most common forms of Cerebral Palsy at the time – Spastic Cerebral Palsy or Spasticity. Members of the organisation wanted to change its name, with the aim to clarify what the organisation is all about and to hopefully bring more awareness to the Australia public. The new name, which was officially changed on the 8th February 2011, is Cerebral Palsy Alliance.

The organisation survives a lot on donations and with the assistance of sponsors. With approximately 34,000 Australian’s currently living with Cerebral Palsy, there’s now, no better time to help out by making a donation. You can donate by calling: 1300136140 or online: www.cerebralpalsy.org.au

Cerebral Palsy is the most common physical disability amongst children, with a baby being diagnosed every 15 hours. Out of those children who are diagnosed, one in three children will not be able to walk, and one in five will not be able to talk. Cerebral Palsy effects movement, but it can also effect vision, hearing and intellectual capacity, it is life-long. There is no cure.

To view a touching video that will feature as part of their new ad campaign, click here: http://www.youtube.com/user/CPAlliance#p/a/u/1/Hz3DggFs9j0 or to learn more about each of the families, visit the Cerebral Palsy Alliance facebook page, and view the interactive ‘moving stories’, here: http://www.facebook.com/cerebralpalsyalliance?v=app_173920072650930

Lending a helping hand, to build McLeod House


Two boys waching their father's hard at work


A backyard game of cricket


Five year old Rachel, who features in the ad campaign


The original house in Mosman