Sultana Nabilah’s Cerebral Palsy Foundation (SNCPF), a not-for-profit organisation focused on caring for teens and adults with neurological conditions, has demanded more governmental and societal attention to people living with cerebral palsy.
Speaking during a walk organised to mark national cerebral palsy awareness day in Lagos on Saturday, Akeem Oyetunde, chairman of the foundation’s board of trustees, said the society still has a lot to do to generate enough awareness and aid needed by people living with the condition.
SNCPF is an NGO created in honour of Nabilah, a 15-year-old girl with cerebral palsy, and it aims to provide holistic life for people requiring special care.
Oyetunde urged parents to seek help in handling the situation adding that counselling even could be a game changer in caring for people with cerebral palsy.
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“There is never enough awareness for cerebral palsy. Especially in our society, people then shy away from things like this and hide the children,” SNCPF’s board chairman said.
“When you do that then they suffer more than they should naturally. Parents need to own up and seek assistance, particular advice can make a lot of difference. Just advice and counselling on managing these children can go a very long way. There is a very long range of disabilities, and they all need help from society.”
On his part, Abdulwaheed Olatinwo, a member of the organisation’s board of trustees, said it is important for people to embrace inclusion for special needs children in society.
He added that SNCPF would be partnering with special learning institutions to achieve that goal.
“People need to realise that there is ability in disability. Creating awareness about that, and that is the foundation of what we are doing. To let people know that people with disability can get whatever they strive to get irrespective of their condition. Awareness is important,” he said.
“Over time, SNCPF will be looking to partner with special learning institutions and universities so that people living with this condition can reach the peak of whatever they want to be.”
SNCPF was launched in 2020 and it unveiled plans to build an “inclusive village” for persons requiring special care.