Rehabilitation Centre for children with cerebral palsy (CP)

The Medical Centre ‘Miloserdie’ based in Martha and Mary Convent has been working since 2010 in order to help and assist children with CP (‘The Rehabilitation and Habilitation Centre for Children with Cerebral Palsy and Other Motor Disorders’). It’s a joined project of the Convent and the Orthodox charity organization ‘Miloserdie’. A multidisciplinary team of professionals, such as neurologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists-neuro speech pathologists, exercise therapy doctors and coaches, teachers, and massage therapists work at the Centre. “Rehabilitation’ means recovery of lost functions. But a lot of children suffering from CP need not just recovery of what’s been lost but mostly acquisition of the functions completely alien to them, i.e. habilitation.

Infantile Cerebral Palsy (ICP) is a central nervous system damage which causes dysfunctions of motor and muscle activity, eyesight, hearing, speech and psyche. In a mild degree of CP a patient is able to take care of themselves. A moderate one requires adult’s support. Those with a severe degree are heavily dependent on others.

CP is fortunate to be easily corrected. Patients’ lives with even a severe degree of disease can be greatly improved. The one who’s only able to lie can be taught to sit; the one who can sit may be taught to stand and even move. That is what the specialists at the Centre aim at.

Our outpatients' age ranges from a year and a half to 20. Each and every is treated according to a personalized programme. An intensive rehabilitation course normally lasts 20 days. Afterwards, the child’s parents should work with their kid at home, seeing the doctor approximately once every half a year.

The Medical Centre helps in complex rehabilitation some 370-400 patients annually.