GO Celebrates World Cerebral Palsy Day #MillionsOfReasons

6th October is the World Cerebral Palsy Day and it holds a special place in our hearts at GO. Our colleague Jeanesse Abela is a cerebral palsy champion who works hard to raise awareness and educate the local community to look beyond the disability.
Cerebral palsy is one of the most common childhood disabilities that affects the ability to move and maintain balance and posture. Cerebral means having to do with the brain, and palsy refers to the weakness or problems with using the muscles.

Today, it is estimated that around 17 million people live with cerebral palsy and World CP Day is an opportunity for the whole world to come together to recognise and spread awareness of what it is and how early intervention can improve the lives of people with it.

Jeanesse is a bundle of positivity and never stops smiling. She had to overcome a lot of difficulties while growing up and she managed to do so through her perseverance and passion about life. She has been part of the GO family for the last 25 years and today her role is of a Training Administrator, in the HR team. Her duties consist of data inputting and other administrative tasks.

Jeanesse was excited to share her thoughts about this special day and also answered to a few questions that help us get to know her better.

Jeanesse’s message about CP Day and her interview.

I know that living with cerebral palsy is quite challenging, especially reaching out to society to be included, but trust me when I say that with determination one can succeed. Never give up, everything is possible if you believe in your dreams!

Describe yourself.
A fighter that never gives up, always available to help others and always smiling to give courage and hope.

What is your favourite food?
Very difficult question because I love food, especially pizza, Chinese, donuts and ‘imqaret’.

What has your experience working at GO been like?
It has been a quite challenging experience but I am happy to be a part of a great team who is always here to support me whenever I need them.

Are you watching any series at the moment?
I am watching ‘Baby’ and ‘Trinkets’.

What should everyone know about people with cerebral palsy?
We are just like everyone else and we can succeed in life with courage and support. Cerebral palsy is not a hereditary condition and we can have a healthy family too.

What are you passionate about?
I am quite a social person and I love going out and meeting new people. I also enjoy travelling, all of which I had to restrict a bit due COVID-19. Music, swimming, movies and adventure like abseiling, zip line and roller coaster are a few more things I am passionate about.

Social media play an important role in your life. What can you tell us about it?
Because of my speech difficulties, social media act as my voice, a place where I can speak my mind, share my thoughts and give a voice to those who don’t have.

How can we all contribute to CP Day?
One can contribute by being supportive, friendly and inclusive. Even a good chat is enough.

As World CP Day continues to grow in popularity, we can all be educated about the ways we can assist and show the world all the incredible things that people with cerebral palsy can achieve when barriers are removed.

We would like to thank Jeanesse for her involvement in the writing this article and her contribution in the GO team. We look forward to a greater future, together!

For more information about World CP Day you can visit the office site and the Malta cerebral palsy register.