Demons attack CP

By Lia Bichel
THE Melbourne Demons have put their support behind Noble Park North child Tyler and other children with cerebral palsy.
Players from the AFL team visited the Cerebral Palsy Education Centre in Glen Waverley before dedicating their game against the Sydney Swans on Sunday 25 July to the facility and everyone with the condition.
Tyler, 3, and his mother, Ashleigh Parfuss, joined a group of parents armed with collection tins outside the MCG gates to raise funds, and awareness, about CP.
“CP affects so many children,” Ms Parfuss said.
“But there’s many people who do not know much about it.”
Tyler has made major improvements since he started attending CPEC two years ago. He was a bottom shuffler – moving from place to place by dragging his bum on the ground and propelling himself forward with his left leg.
Within nine months he was walking unaccompanied.
“I attribute all his successes to CPEC and his Monash Paediatric Rehabilitation Unit. CPEC is the only centre in Victoria to specifically cater for children with CP,” Ms Parfuss said.
CP is the most common physical disability in Australian children, with one child born with CP every 18 hours.
This is Cerebral Palsy Awareness Week and CPEC is urging people to show their support by running or walking in one of six events at the St George Melbourne Marathon, which Tyler recently launched with Leiah Stratford, 3, Australian Olympic runner Steve Moneghetti and footy legend Ron Barassi.