Have you missed my blog? Probably not. I have not written one. I don't know about you but between the world wide pandemic, the rising covid deaths, the presidential election, more shootings, and moving again my inspiration and creativity has been like a roller coaster….mostly going down hill.
March is a perfect time to begin writing again because……..
March is National Cerebral Palsy awareness month, and
Cerebral Palsy awareness day is Thursday, March 25th.
Many of you know raising awareness and advocating for differently abled
individuals are ongoing for me.
What better month for me to write a blog than March.
A little background for those who do not know me. I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl
named Meghann on June 27, 1987. I had a normal pregnancy with a non-emergency
C-section. Before Meghann turned 1 year old she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
It didn’t matter to me. Meghann was perfect in my eyes.
Meghann’s life was filled with Speech, Occupational, and Physical Therapy.
Although she struggled through two major strokes that set her progress back
she bounced back with resilience and tenacity. I think she got that trait from her
Aunt Valerie. It didn’t matter what she had to endure or the obstacles she needed
to climb, she kept a smile on her face.
Meghann and many other children with cerebral palsy rely on early intervention more
than the typical developing child. These services determine the outcome of a fulfilling
and happy life.
The services in Illinois such as Abilities Plus in Kewanee, Gateway Services in Princeton,
KCCDD in Galesburg, and Easter Seals in Peoria are all places that Meghann benefited
from attending.
Therapy, equipment, camps, life skills, friendships and more are all the things that
Meghann received over the years to enrich her life and allow her to live a full life.
And that is exactly what Meghann did.
Meghann’s speech therapy taught her to speak with the help of an augmentative device, sign language, and communication book. Early intervention Therapy services helped Meghann gain better muscles control and balance.
Easter Seals camp
Easter Seals camps provided Meghann the opportunity to do activities such as riding a
horse. It also provided her the opportunity to make friends. Friendship can be difficult for
some children with special needs and camps are a way for kids to be kids!
Abilities Plus Camp
Meghann had a wonderful life because of the help we both received from these organizations
I have mentioned. We were so blessed to meet so many great therapists, teachers,
paraprofessionals, doctors, nurses, and friends.
With all of this help Meghann graduated from Lindbergh Jr. High and Richwoods High School.
Lindbergh Jr. High
graduation at Richwood High School
I lost Meghann on May 24, 2018.
In Megahnn’s memory I hope to continue my plans to advocate and write more children’s
books with special needs themes. I want to give back to the world what Meghann, and I
received from everyone over the years.
amazon.com/author/jillmaglioryan
Below is a review left on Amazon about
The Girl with Gills
Meggeriffic: Cuz, I Can
What is Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of disorders that affect a person's ability to move and maintain balance and posture. CP is the most common motor disability in childhood. Cerebral means having to do with the brain. Palsy means weakness or problems with using the muscles.
https://ucp.org/
This is the face of the services that are provided by organizations such as Gateway,
Abilities Plus, KCCDD, and Easter Seals. Thank you to all of people and organizations
for giving Meghann the chance to live a rich life.
Amazing, my friend! Lucky to have known Meg, and her lovely mother. Glad to see you writing again... I've missed this!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Marie. It good to be back !!!
ReplyDelete