Walk it Out

Working at a children's hospital has not only made me more aware of the many disorders that many patients and their families face but it has also provided me the opportunity to participate by raising awareness. October 3rd I am walking to support a co-worker's son, who suffers from childhood apraxia of speech. Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is a motor speech disorder. Children with CAS have problems saying sounds, syllables, and words. This is not because of muscle weakness or paralysis. The brain has problems planning to move the body parts (lips, jaw, tongue) needed for speech. The child knows what he or she wants to say, but his/her brain has difficulty coordinating the muscle movements necessary to say those words, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association website.

I can't imagine how frustrating this must be for a child who wants so badly to talk but is trapped as their mouth won't form the words they are thinking. As a parent, it must be heart wrenching. However, there is hope that with research and many hours of speech therapy, the words will come. My co-workers and I formed a team to walk/run and it should be a great event. They have already raised $17,000. Please check out the website to educate yourself; and if your feeling generous, it would be greatly appreciated if you wanted to donate.