Covering Kern: Cerebral Palsy Awareness month

It's a condition that is more common than you may think, cerebral palsy affects more than 700,000 adults and children throughout the nation, including some here in Kern County.

COMMON THAN YOU MAY THINK.CEREBRAL PALSY AFFECTS MORE THAN700,000 ADULTS ANDCHILDREN THROUGHOUT THE NATION,INCLUDING SOMEHERE IN KERN COUNTY.SO TONIGHT FOR CEREBRAL PALSYAWARENESS MONTH --23ABCSKYLIE WALKER SPEAKS WITH A LOCALPERSON LIVING WITH CP TOFIND OUT HOW HE IS MAKING THEMOST OF HIS LIFE"I'VE NEVER GROWN UP WITH BEINGABLE TO WALK ..

THIS IS ALLI'VE KNOWN."SCOTTY CRABTREE HAS BEEN IN AWHEELCHAIRSINCE HE WAS 7 YEARS OLD ..AFTER HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITHCEREBRAL PALSY.

A DISORDER THATAFFECTS A PERSON'S MOTORSKILLS AND MUSCLES... CRABTREESAYS THAT HEALTHISSUE IS COMPLEX AND COMES INDIFFERENT FORMS"THERE'S SOME PEOPLE WITHCEREBRAL PALSY WHO CAN'T EVENSPEAK ..

THEY HAVE TO RELY ONCAREGIVERS 24/7 TO TAKE CARE OFTHEM."CRABTREE SAYS HE CONSIDERSHIMSELF LUCKY ..

HAVINGSPATICQUAD CEREBRAL PALSY ..WHICH AFFECTS ONLY ONE SIDE OFHIS BODY .."THE RIGHT SIDE OF MY BODY ..

MYRIGHT ARM ..

I'M ABLE TO MOVE IT..THE LEFT SIDE OF MY BODY IS MORECONTRACTED ..MY LEFT ARM I CANTUSE HARDLY AT ALL."BUT CRABTREE DOESN'T LET THATHOLD HIM BACK .

HE WROTE A BOOKDOCUMENTING HIS LIFE..SHOWCASING HIS TALENT AS A SINGER WITHINSPIRATION FROM THE LATE BUCKOWENS... AND COUNTRY MUSICSTAR..

KIM MACABEE .."I SAW HER AT THE CRYSTAL PALACEAND THOUGHT TO MYSELF I CAN DOTHAT.

I WANTED TO SHOW PEOPLEHEY I'M IN A WHEELCHAIR ..BUT WITH THE HELP OF BUCKOWENS..

KIM MACCABEE..

THEBAKERSFIELD COUNTRY MUSICCOMMUNITY .

I AM ABLE TO DOTHIS."ALTHOUGH HE DOES NEED HELP WITHSOME DAILY TASKS...CRABTREE LIKES TO CONSIDERHIMSELF AS INDEPENDENT .."PEOPLE WITH CP HAVE A MINDTOO..THEY ARE HUMAN JUST ASEVERYONE ELSE..

SO IF I WAS APERSON THAT DIDNT HAVECEREBRAL PALSY ..

AND I DIDNTHAVE THIS DISEASE..

I WOULDTELL THEM TO NOT LOOK AT US ANYDIFFERENT.KYLIE WALKER 23 ABC CONNECTINGYOUCOMING UP --YOU MAY BE READY TO TRAVEL --BUT THE COST OF GAS