Every child deserves to sleep comfortably and soundly. For many children of the world, falling asleep is a constant struggle, especially for those with Cerebral Palsy. Children with Cerebral Palsy have great difficulty trying to straighten their bodies enough to fall asleep due to spinal postural deformities.
Those with more severe cases are facing a much higher risk of health challenges and injuries if they cannot get into a good resting position. Sleep deprivation can also cause development issues.
At present, nearly 2 million children in China have Cerebral Palsy (Source: CCTV.com), and according to the article, “Sleep and Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Review of Current Evidence and Environmental Non-Pharmacological Interventions”, authored by Ms. Risha Dutt, BOT, MSc Rehab Medicine, Dr. Mary Roduta-Roberts, PhD, and Dr. Cary A. Brown, PhD, from the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Canada, as many as 23% to 46% of children with Cerebral Palsy suffer from sleep problems due to factors such as pain, seizures, and skin ulcers.
To provide critical relief to children with Cerebral Palsy, in 2017 the World Forgotten Children Foundation (WFCF) supported the International China Concern (ICC), an organization that takes care of more than 350 children and young adults with disabilities across China, many who have been abandoned since birth, and funded US $10,277 dollars in support of purchasing custom-fitted sleep aid systems for 14 children at a Hengyang facility as well as four units for children at a Changsha facility.
According to the ICC’s report on this funding, these sleep aid systems have improved these children’s physical and emotional health and well-being. They now have opportunities for participation in community activities which affect their social and emotional health, self-esteem, independence, and communication. Overall, this project will have an immense impact on these children’s lives and the community.
The ICC provided WFCF with impactful video footage of the children benefitting from these sleep aid systems (video clip above), which can also be viewed on YouTube here. We hope that you will become a supporter of WFCF and help us spread the word about these children in need by sharing this video with your friends, colleagues, family members, and with your connections on various social media channels. The more people that are aware of our cause, the more support these very deserving children will receive.
Please also follow WFCF on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram, to stay in touch with WFCF projects in support of providing helping hands to the less fortunate children of the world.
Sources:
“Doctor helps kids get on their feet for free,” CCTV.com. 13 November 2016 (18 April 2018) http://english.cctv.com/2016/11/13/VIDEKbLtYd3CMlOVaRUhne8O161113.shtml
Dutt, R., Roduta-Roberts, M., & Brown, C. A. (2015). Sleep and Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Review of Current Evidence and Environmental Non-Pharmacological Interventions. Children, 2(1), 78–88. http://doi.org/10.3390/children2010078
