Current Grants

Cerebral Palsy Foundation

The Cerebral Palsy Alliance was established to take on the global challenge to prevent and cure Cerebral Palsy. The statistics are shocking. In Australia 1 in 400 children have Cerebral Palsy. Two babies are born with Cerebral Palsy every day. Nearly 7 million people worldwide have Cerebral Palsy of which 33,000 are Australians.

Cerebral Palsy is a loss or deficiency of motor control with involuntary spasms caused by permanent brain damage present at birth. An infant’s brain contains naturally occurring active stem cells until 22 months of age. The brain uses these template cells to develop vast and complex networks of nerve connections to help a child become skilled at walking, talking, and learning. It is in these first 22 months that the brain is most capable of repair. This window of opportunity is often lost for children with cerebral palsy because the diagnosis is made too late.

The cost to providing care to those with Cerebral Palsy in Australia is $3.87 billion. Surprisingly, comparatively little is spent on research into a cure. We still understand little about the causes of Cerebral Palsy. As a result The Balnaves Foundation agreed to provide funds to establish the ‘Balnaves Foundation Curative Cerebral Palsy Research Program’, which commenced in October 2009. This project aims to identify cerebral palsy early, via new early diagnostic clinics established nationally. It will also give newly diagnosed Australian children the opportunity to join a series of world-first research trials aimed at lessening the degree of brain injury and optimising brain repair in the early months.

For more information about please visit www.cpresearch.org.au