My Father Is My Hero

After sustaining a knee injury that required for surgical intervention while in high school, I struggled with recurring ailments throughout my intercollegiate career. It was not until my father, who is an Osteopathic physician, was performing manipulation on me did we begin to diagnose the potential causes. The issue was muscle imbalance and limited flexibility in certain areas of my body that was shifting majority of my weight onto my knees while performing certain movements. This went unnoticed by physicians because while performing examinations the scope was concentrated on the immediate areas around my knee. With the knowledge I obtained through manipulation I have been able to treat my knee ailments by strengthening and lengthening muscles throughout my body. Having this experience helped solidify that if I am to be the physician I aspire to be, it is imperative to be trained in this form of medicine.

Cerebral palsy refers to a group of chronic disorders that involve degrees of brain damage that affect body control and movement. The term cerebral refers to the brain, while palsy describes a disorder that impairs the control of body movement. These disorders are not the result of muscles or nerves problems. Instead, they are due to impaired motor areas in the brain that disrupt its ability to control movement and posture. The condition typically appears within the first few years of life and it is not marked by regression. (Mecham, 1986)

Cerebral palsy is a condition which has more than one disorder which can affect movement, posture and coordination. This condition can be recognized when the child is born, but also can be detected when the child reaches particular motor development

During my junior year of high school, my father made the difficult decision to go live at the Veterans’ Home. For thirty-five years he had lived with Multiple Sclerosis, a debilitating disease characterized by the destruction of the myelin sheath insulating the nerve cells. This degradation affects all movement by slowing or altogether halting nerve impulses to the muscles. As a result, my father became permanently wheelchair-bound around the time I started kindergarten. By my junior year of high school, he struggled with even simple tasks such as writing, dressing, grooming, and eating. It reached the point where he could no longer live at home without round-the-clock care. This revelation was earth-shattering but not a shock. It was yet another natural progression of the disease. Still, this did not prepare me for the emotions I experienced.

During my sophomore year of highschool, I was running track and I had a promising season in front of me. However, I was unable to reach my goals. I was forced to quit running for the remained of the school year due to a knee injury. The muscles holding my knee caps in place were not developed enough, and it was causing me great pain. After quitting track, I went into physical therapy. I was in physical therapy for over a month and I then had to continue to strengthen my legs. The next school year I was still facing the same problem, only smaller. Now, around two years later, I have finally overcome this problem and I am completely healthy. The injury was very frustrating, however, I put in the work and I am finally back to one hundred percent. I would not say that I’m glad the injury happened, however, I did learn the value of continuous hard work because of the

Cerebral palsy presents itself as a, usually recognizable by others, physical disability. This disability does not allow full physical movements or use of extremities. A person with this disability may not be able to walk or may not be able to use an arm. Alternatively, a person with cerebral palsy may not stand upright, as most people do. This condition is chronic, meaning that it is long-lasting over much time. As this disability presents itself in various ways, one with cerebral palsy may experience involuntary muscle movements. Often times, people with cerebral palsy may experience deficits appearing in one side of the body. The way that cerebral palsy appears at birth will be the way that this disability presents itself during the duration of life. The disability does not get worse and cannot be cured after birth.

Cerebral palsy (CP) has been described as a group of permanent disorders of the development of movement and posture that are attributed to non-progressive disturbances that occurred in the developing foetal or infant brain (Rosenbaum et al. 2007). Since I did not know that much about CP, I went

My dad’s background story is what helps define him. My dad is passionate about racing. He raced amateur motocross when he was 15 and decided to retire after ten years. HIs love of riding is in my blood. My dad taught me how to ride my dirt bike when I was five. He takes my brother and I to tracks to ride and have fun. In 2001, my dad became a Pro-Rally racer. He raced all around the country and raced in the Pikes Peak international hill climb. In 2003, he won the group

As a young athlete, running had always been my least favorite activity. Unfortunately, every sport I played was dependent on that very act. Countless suicide runs and lay-up drills in basketball, and even more base runs in softball, served as a distraction from this mundane activity because at least I was running for a purpose. My brief time on the cross-country team demonstrated that while I may have excelled at sprinting, long-distance running was not my forte; and also materialized by my omnipresent side stitches. However, my senior year of high school came and to my surprise, running would be the one thing I missed dearly. My short time as a starting varsity player in basketball came to an end when I tore my left ACL. A host of changes came from just this one incident. After sustaining this injury and enduring surgery and physical therapy, my career goals took a dramatic turn; I went from an aspiring visual artist embarking to Rutger's Mason Gross School of the Arts, to extremely interested in the field of physical therapy.

Contrary to common belief, CP does not derive in the nervous or muscular system though it does cause issues within muscle movement, the problem derives from Irregular parts of the brain that are in charge of muscle operation are actually what cause the defect. Often times even though most people are born with Cerebral Palsy, it is not detected until a later and more noticeable period in a child’s development. (Young children with cerebral palsy: Families self-reported equipment needs and out-of-pocket expenditure, 2013) If a child is not born with CP, it can be developed shortly

My parents had set up an appointment with the local Physical Therapist, Dr. Winchester, for the following week. Upon arrival, I was still in disbelief but I continued on. For the next couple of weeks I went every week, twice a week. I had made good progress in recovery, but it wasn’t good enough for me. I asked for stretches and other activities that would enhance my progress. Fortunately, he was able to give me such activities. I had made it a point to do my stretches everyday with the aspiration of being able to at least try out for my high school. I had to be able to overcome this in a short time without damaging my arm further.

Cerebral Palsy can effect many parts of the body but more commonly the movement in the arms, hands, legs, and feet. Cerebral Palsy doesn't effect the brain in the sense of memory and other functions besides the movement of bad parts. Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is brain damage. It cannot be cured, it is not contagious, it is not a disease, and it does not get worse. According to Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, "Cerebral Palsy is a broad term for various nonprogressive disorders of motor function in people, resulting from brain damage around the time of birth. Damage to the brain could occur before, during, or shortly after birth"(“Cerebral”). Since the damage is done during the brain’s formation, and occurs in the part of the brain that controls motor and muscle functions, people with CP might have problems with motor skills, muscle tone, muscle weakness, reflexes, balance, excessive drooling, difficulties swallowing or speaking, shaking, tremors, and

Physical therapy has grown increasing more useful as the years’ progress and more is learned about the human body and its movements, interactions, and mechanisms. Someone may go to physical therapy for injury, recovery, in order to maintain function, or even due to a stroke and is trying to work on walking again. Patients of a physical therapist can include, but is not limited to, elderly, children, accident victims, athletes, those with conditions such as arthritis or fractures, etc. The possibilities are endless for potential physical therapy patients (Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences).

Heroes; something we all aspire to be, but easily recognize in others. Wait, how do we define what makes a hero, a hero? A hero is one who is kind, courageous, smart, determined and selfless. They often do what is better for the greater good and not themselves. This is seen in both Greek and Modern heroes, whether it is cutting off Medusa’s head or defeating the Riddler, they show these qualities in one way or another. We also see these qualities in parents, true everyday heroes. While they may not have super strength or the ability to fly, parents are the ultimate heroes in our lives, for they love for us without judgement and will always be there when we need them most. My father, William Romero, is a hero since it takes a true hero to