Sign our card for the Health Minister

As the holiday season approaches, the greatest gift that the Health Minister can give to families is the chance to open the window of opportunity for every baby.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common physical disability in childhood. But because Australia doesn’t test for it, most babies born with CP aren’t diagnosed until 12 months.

Early screening and diagnosis means babies can receive treatment in the early months of their life, a crucial window of opportunity when it will make the biggest difference.

This Christmas, the CPActive community is sending Health Minister Greg Hunt our own wishlist – a pilot program screening newborn babies for cerebral palsy.

Add your name to sign the Minister’s card and ask him for an early screening pilot this Christmas. We’d also love to include photos of the families who would benefit from early screening – so if you can, please send your family photo to info@cpactive.org.au and we’ll add you to the card!

Once we’ve collected all your photos and signatures we will design a beautiful Christmas card for the Minister, which will be delivered to him in December by a family with lived experience of CP and the importance of early screening.

Since we launched our Window of Opportunity campaign in August, we’ve spoken to families and experts about the massive impact of early screening. Now, this window of opportunity has begun to creak open.

What’s needed is a trial of early screening for CP, to prove the undeniable benefits of a national program.

We have a simple holiday wishlist this year. Sign the card and together we’ll ask the Health Minister to open the window of opportunity for every baby this Christmas!