Every 20 hours, an Australian child is diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy is the most common lifelong physical disability in the world, affecting 18 million people worldwide. It’s caused by damage to the developing brain during pregnancy, birth, or shortly after birth, and it directly affects a person’s movement and posture for life.
The Cerebral Palsy Alliance runs STEPtember each year with participants that are passionate about being healthy, building a more inclusive world and making a life-changing impact for people living with cerebral palsy. By taking on the challenge and fundraising, efforts go to support life-changing research, treatment, and services to help people with cerebral palsy to live their best life. The Cisco Disability Awareness Network gathered people together to raise funds, with a whopping $20,000+ going to the Cerebral Palsy Alliance. Well done!
As part of the month-long effort, members of the Steptember team came to the office to share more about the cause, employees shared their experiences with cerebral palsy, and many came together to walk together to raised funds for the Cerebral Palsy Alliance.
Kerry & Bianca
Kerry Soussou is a partner account manager for Cisco. Her daughter, Bianca, was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy (Left Hemiplegia) when she was four months old. Kerry was told she is unlikely to ever walk or talk. She has the intellectual ability of a two-year-old as an adult.
With thousands of hours of therapies — like hydrotherapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy — Bianca learned to walk at age four. It was all thanks to the support they received from CPA.
As Bianca finishes school this year, she will participate in their supported day programs, continue therapy, and, most importantly, transition into long-term supported disability accommodations to manage her ongoing high needs. Find out more about why she appreciates STEPtember, here.
Cisco team in step with their kids
The school holidays provided the perfect opportunity for the Sydney team to come to the office and walk from the North Sydney office across the Sydney Harbour Bridge to the Meraki office for lunch.
It provided the perfect opportunity to come together, do something different, and raise funds for Steptember.
What was the best part of the day you ask? “Seeing the cool offices” shared one of the younger walkers. “The ice cream,” shared another.
Congratulations to the Cisco team, and their supporters, for raising these funds and coming together for the cerebral palsy alliance.
You can donate to the Cerebral Palsy Alliance, here.
