Twice a week, little Nasreen's sister, 17, faithfully brings her down to Shield City in a taxi. Director Laura Sharpe says she is helping Nasreen work on her core muscle strength. A major goal for her tutors and physical therapist is helping Nasreen sit up by herself and use her hands. While this sweet soul cannot talk or walk yet, she smiles at the songs and can reach her hands for the toys and books.
We are hoping for some good progress with Nasreen this year as she gets more one-on-one help at Shield City. Conditions for children with cerebral palsy in Nigeria are grim, as some children cannot swallow easily when they have this special needs condition. Most of our 40 or so children with CP are suffering from malnutrition and underweight because they struggle to swallow and there are no feeding tubes available here.
Many of these children with cerebral palsy have standard cognitive abilities like other kids, but without the use of a communication device to speak through like in Western countries, they cannot communicate. Shield City offers a free malnutrition mix called Tom Brown for mothers of children with cerebral palsy, which families mix with water and offer as a smoothie to their children. We've seen this locally-made high protein mix help many of our kiddos gain some precious weight back as it is easier to swallow.
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