Omaha Celebrates Individuals with Cerebral Palsy in Community Event
The smell of fresh hay fills the air as soft country music bounces off the walls. A gymnasium on Boys Town’s campus has been temporarily transformed to resemble a Western country fair. On a crisp Sunday afternoon, the Institute for Human Neuroscience (IHN) held its third annual Cerebral Palsy Celebration. Held on World Cerebral Palsy Day, the celebration brought individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) and their families together for an afternoon of fun.
Max Kurz Ph.D. is the director of the Physiology of Walking and Engineering Rehabilitation (PoWER) laboratory at IHN. Dr. Kurz has worked with individuals with CP for over 14 years and has dreamed of hosting an event like this since his career began.
Inclusive Fun for All
Partnering alongside Boys Town and United Cerebral Palsy of Nebraska, IHN gathered 13 community partners and sponsors to help throw this event. The celebration included:
- A petting zoo
- Bounce houses
- Face painting
- A wheelchair-friendly obstacle course
- Blaze pod wall
- Photo booth
- Craft table
- Balloon animals
A young girl and her mom pet a rabbit during Boys Town and IHN’s World Cerebral Palsy Day celebration.
Over 160 community members joined in on a rootin-tootin good time that included plenty of food, games, prizes, and an opportunity to meet Ms. Nebraska. The goal of this event is to provide a fun and engaging atmosphere for individuals with CP and their families including giggles, cheers, and core memories. The annual celebration is a tradition Dr. Kurz aims to carry on for years to come. Check out a video from the event HERE.
A Significant Impact
There are approximately 1 million people who have CP in the United States and one in 323 children develop CP in the United States. Cerebral palsy is a result of damage to the developing brain during childhood, infancy, or in utero. The physical and cognitive effects of the damage can vary widely in individuals. Some symptoms include impacts on mobility, speech, and other brain functions (cparf.org).
Dr. Kurz and his team of researchers are passionate about helping individuals with CP receive the best care possible. This starts with understanding brain development of these individuals. Specifically, Dr. Kurz’s research dives into how movement, mobility, and physical therapy approaches can be tailored to the individual and their unique brain connections using neuroimaging technology. The goal of this research is to better aid in physical therapy assessments, movement regimens, and treatments, and overall improve health care.
Dr. Kurz and his research team.
To learn more about the research Dr. Kurz and his team do at IHN and their work with individuals with CP, check out their website HERE. here