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Happy Birthday to us!
Cerebral Palsy Alliance was founded 78 years ago today, on the 9th of December 1944, when a group of parents of children with cerebral palsy came together for the first time.
Led by Audrie and Neil McLeod, who had refused to accept medical advice that nothing could be done for their daughter Jennifer, the determined group established a school in Mosman and began to pioneer new, inclusive methods of learning, therapy and community engagement.
What became CPA began operations in 1945 with a small group of 14 children and 25 parents in Mosman, this collective of families and supporters quickly expanded to eventually offer support and services to nearly 6,000 people with CP and similar conditions across over 100 locations in ACT and NSW.
The compassion and lifelong devotion of Audrie and Neil McLeod will always be remembered by the many people with CP and their families, and to this day our organisation still champions Audrie’s motto: ‘nothing is impossible’. One person can have an idea, but it has taken the different skills and knowledge of thousands of people over the last 78 years to make that idea become real.
From humble beginnings, CPA has evolved to become a global centre of expertise for CP intervention, research, advocacy and assistive technology – and it all on this day, 78 years ago!
Head here to read more about the McLeods and the early days of CPA.
