Because it's not like breast cancer* (why I advocate, 1 of n)

Pediatric Stroke Awareness month begins today and once again I am planning a "Streak for Stroke" and will be blogging up a storm (at least 20 days in May) in hopes of raising awareness of pediatric stroke and hemiplegia and directing people towards the CHASA (Children's Hemiplegia And Stroke Association) website and support services.

Not that long ago, someone in the CHASA Facebook community asked if it was bad that she didn't want to be an advocate during the May purple-wearing hoopla the CHASA community has been gearing up for.  Of course simply having a child with hemiplegia doesn't mean one needs to pass out flyers door to door (or, in fact, do anything but take care of one's child), but the ensuing Facebook conversation made me try to articulate why raising awareness is important to me.  The first few blog posts of this streak will deal with the many reasons I want to do this.

First and foremost, the population is really not aware of pediatric stroke.  Even health care professionals can be surprised that "kids have strokes, too."  This is a problematic state of affairs, when an estimated 1 out of every 2,800 children in the US is a stroke survivor and early intervention may be key to better long term outcomes.  Kids cannot receive help for conditions they have not been diagnosed with and parents and health care workers cannot seek help for conditions they don't know exist.

A purple flower each day is my symbol for the streak.
This is a Stokesia at a history museum near Topeka.

So, if you know of someone with a baby who is demonstrating strong hand preference (typically not using one at all) before the age of one, suggest they read up on the other symptoms of pediatric stroke (available, among other places, on the CHASA web page) and make sure they are dealing with a pediatrician who will take concerns seriously.

You may not have known that kids can have strokes, sometimes before birth.  Now you do.  That's one reason I advocate.  Many more reasons to come.


*Even before last October, you probably already knew that cancerous cells can spread in and around breasts.  I'm very for promoting research into early detection, prevention, and treatment of breast cancer, along with programs that improve the quality of life of breast cancer patients and survivors, but I cringe about some of the corporate over-pinking during "breast cancer awareness month" as if most of us were already not aware (or all too well aware) of breast cancer.