Cerebral Palsy Hero 10/26/23 – Stella

Let’s give a huge CPFN welcome to today’s #CPHero, Stella! Like many of our CP Heroes, Stella had a bit of a rocky start. She stopped moving in utero and was born two months early. She spent the next two months in the NICU, followed by a proposed CP diagnosis at eight months. Stella has spastic quadriplegic CP, a seizure disorder, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, and ADHD. At age 5, she underwent double hip surgery, hamstring, and trigger thumb release. She has a baclofen pump and has struggled over the years with behavioral and sleep issues.

With all of that, she truly is one of the strongest girls out there. She loves school, swimming, arts and crafts and, most recently, working out with her trainer. For the most part Stella uses a wheelchair to get around but is working extremely hard on her goal of walking with lofstrand crutches one day. She wants everyone to know that, although she uses a wheelchair and may learn a little differently, she is just another teenager.

Stella reminds us every day not to sweat the small stuff and that we are stronger than we know.

#inspiration #cp #cerebralpalsy #hero #dailyinspo