In many ways, I am just an average 9-year-old girl.

I enjoy cartoons, art projects, and playing hide & seek. I love to go on walks, bike rides, and swim at the beach in the summer. I adore ice cream.

Yet there are things that make me stand out among the crowd too. One is my smile. Another is my sense of style. A big one is that I have Cerebral Palsy. My CP does not define me, but it will always be a part of who I am. Learn more about my story and why I started Madeline’s Movement below.

DIAGNOSIS & THERAPY

I was born on October 19th 2014 along with my twin sister Marlowe. We were two months early. Marlowe and I both spent time in the NICU before coming home. As I grew, I was eventually diagnosed with PVL (Periventricular Leukomalacia), a brain injury that most often affects both cognitive and motor development. It’s estimated that around 60-100% of all children who have PVL will also develop Cerebral Palsy, or "CP." I was diagnosed with CP at two, you can learn more about cerebral palsy here.

After learning about my PVL, my parents immediately got me into therapy. Starting at six months old, I began working with a team of talented Doctors, Physical, Occupational, Speech and Vision therapists. Each of them have and continue to help change my life for the better. I could never thank them enough for all they've done to help me grow and develop.

NEW CHALLENGEs UP NORTH

Always looking for new options to improve my learning, my parents discovered the Health In Motion clinic in Toronto Canada. In September 2016, we went up for a 1 month intensive training session. I learned new things, completely changed my diet, pushed myself harder than ever before and progressed faster than I had ever done in such a short amount of time. My family and I ended up going to Toronto for 6 months worth of therapy. It was our home away from home for three years. Each time we went my parents, my sister, and my grandparents all came up, and many more helped our family by taking care of things for us back home.

INSPIRED TO DO MORE

It was at the Health in Motion clinic in Toronto that I became inspired to start a foundation. Two things took hold of me on that first trip; the amazing people and the realities of costs families affected by CP have to face.

The people, and especially the other kids in the program, were amazing. They inspired me to believe that anything is possible with my condition. Their battles and their successes are what drove us to come up here and now being a part of the HIM family we understand why. Their stories made me want to help other kids with CP.

The costs families affected by CP face can be astronomical. From therapy and daily care, to medical bills and equipment, there are costs around every corner. What's more, much of this is not covered by insurance (for those of us lucky enough to have it) and things like our trips to Canada are 100% out-of-pocket. These realities are why I began Madeline's Movement to raise money to support and empower families affected Cerebral Palsy.

Since 2017, we have raised over $100,000 for families affected by Cerebral Palsy. Please join us on this movement by supporting today and helping share our story.