PAGE 8
MA TRIX OF A
SOCIAL SPASTIC
BY ARTHUR HONEYMAN
Cerebral Palsy is perhaps one of the wrst afflictions
that can strike a person. Because I am a victim of this affliction,
much of what I am writing centers around me What I write is
what I have observed from self experience and from others who
are also handicapped by cerebral palsy I write not only about
the physical problems of the cerebral palsied, but also show
psychological problems a cerebral palsy victim suffers.
I do not intend a long and technical analysis, which
I myself do not understand and cannot even hope to explain.
I will satisfy myself by barely touching the definition and the
causes of this affliction Because cerebral palsy is not a disease
and because most cerebral palsied victims have internal organs
which function normally, the average CP has no real health
problems. For instance, I am rarely sick enough to stay in bed
Most of the literature which is written on cerebral palsy
concerns the care of children stricken by it. I will try to restrict
myself to the problems of the teenager and the young adult.
Cerebral palsy is also known as Little's disease Doctor
Little was probably the pioneer in medical interest in what is
commonly known as palsy, or spasticity. The number of victims
of cerebral palsy is estimated at various numbers. One book
says there are 400,000 CPs in the United States, while another
says there 550,000. About 200,000 of these are children and
350,000 are adults. It had also been estimated that every 53
minutes a child is bom with cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is, of course, due to brain damage,
probably to the medulla and cerebellum Some injuries are
prenatal, others paranatal, and others postnatal.
Prenatal damage is generally due to two types of
injuries — either hereditary or congenital Tuberous sclerosis
and tay-sacks disease fall under the first cause. Anoxia,
maternal infections, metabolic disease and RH factors fall under
the latter cause.
Cerebral palsy due to paranatal (during birth) is gener
ally caused by mechanical damage such as trauma This
includes squeezing the brain too hard during labor or by forceps
in the process of delivery. Also there are prematurities, low
vitamin K level, and anoxia. Paranatal also includes asphyxia
which is due to respiratory obstructions during labor
Postnatal refers to brain damage after birth. Such
injuries as skull fractures and wounds come under trauma
which is usually brought about by falling on the head or by
similar accidents.The second is infectious which is caused by
meningitis and encephalitis. Third is vascular by hemorrhage,
thrombosis and embolus. Anoxia is caused by carbon dioxide
and/or monoxide poisoning and neoplasms.
There are several types of cerebral palsy There is spas
ticity vtfiich is usually characterized by short jerks or rhythmic
spasms. Athetosis refers to a type of cerebral palsy in which the
victim makes twisting wormlike motions. This is the type I suffer.
More often than not spasticity and athetosis are intermingled.
The third type is ataxia which refers to slow, stiff, almost
paralyzed movements in which walking is difficult. There is a
sense of anti-gravity and the victim often has a reduced sense
of balance Other characteristics are flabby and loose muscles.
The fourth is ngidity which is characterized by stiffness.
The victim finds it difficult to move limbs and motion resembles
an unoiled robot.
Tremor is the fifth type and is characterized by involun
tary rhythmic movements. In some victims, not only may their
muscles be uncoordinated but the senses may be haywire
Some CPs are disturbed by spasticity in their eyes,
which may receive double vision, reducing the person's sense
of balance.
As with all CPs, disturbances like these are caused
by misdelivery of the message to the brain through the nerves
resulting in an inaccurate perception of the eyes An example
of an athetoid's problem of muscles is when an athetoid reaches
for an object — nerve cells misdirect the hands so that the
object is not reached or knocked over Also, in many CPs hear
ing may be defective. The result is that the CP may appear to
be stupid or uninterested
For centuries the CP was regarded as an idiot because
of spasticity, drooling, speech and other convulsive traits. CPs
can be paraplegics (which refers to two limbs), quadriplegics
(four limbs) or hemoplegics (one side of the body).
Because athetosis is the affliction I suffer. I am going to
concentrate on it Also, I believe it to be the most terrible of the
various types of cerebral palsy The reason is this: Many victims
of athetosis are not able to write or feed themselves, display
annoying and unpleasant actions such as facial contortions and
drooling and exhibit wormlike movements. This naturally means
the CP is not readily accepted by society Obviously one can
see vtfiat this would do to the average CP’s social standing
The athetoid can be extremely strong physically and
still not be able to attend to the simplest things which the
average person takes for granted I can lift myself up by using
an over-head bar so that my feet don't touch the ground, but I
cannot hold on to a glass of water — not because I am not
strong enough but rather because I am uncoordinated and the
glass shakes out of my grasp The harder I try to do something
the more difficult it becomes I become excited and tremble
(which almost everyone does from fear or excitement) to a
much greater than normal degree: I spasticate One may ask.
"Why not relax?" Of course I should relax I would be able to do
all sorts of things I would be able to speak better But it is
difficult for an athetoid to relax It takes us rigorous and slow
training and development of muscular control to relax This
depends partially on the severity of the affliction, partially on
individual character (up-bnnging, background and environment),
and also on medical facilities as well as psychological or
psychiatric treatment
I believe the greatest overall problem which a CP,
especially an athetoid, faces is the problem of being socially
accepted One cannot rightfully expect to be accepted on an
equal basis by society unless he or she proves equal to it This
is true whether it is blacks, Jews, alcoholics or CPs On the other
hand society must give each the equal chance to prove equal,
which it does only reluctantly and slowly This means minority
ARTHUR HONEYMAN YOUNG & OLD BY MICHAEL deWAIDE
groups must work twice as hard or more to achieve acceptance.
This is extremely difficult for a CP. particularly the athetoid
because of the inability to function as well or as fast as the
average person It is also difficult to make friends because of
spasticity, drooling, unpleasant facial expressions and speech
defects.
Victims of other afflictions such as polio, muscular
dystrophy, muscular sclerosis, and so forth, do not always
accept CPs to be on their own level. CPs must prove to be equal
to them. I first discovered this while attending a school for
crippled children. I was shocked and hurt and I don't think I have
ever quite recovered from this realization A roommate at the
CRIPPLES FOREVER
"Only a decadent society will let them live
without any ulterior motive"
We're not even good enough for institutions.
Throw us off cliffs. Forget constitutions
Society can't afford the taxes.
Should be sharpening axes.
Soon you won’t need to be frantic or frenetic.
Blond perfection will be automatic, genetic.
"I apologize for my existence "
What's that'? Chnstian resistance'?
Now really, l mean realistically,
Survival and cnpples Forget idealistically
This ain't real
It's surreal.
But drooling, incoherent shaking s-s-spastic
Writes a poem for the city club, fantastic! Iconoclastic!
And Kocher
Crippled little bloker,
Keeps on stoking
Pushing, shoving, screaming, burning, funny little arms, joking
The one liner
Kocher is a Shnner.
So we're making demands.
Though we don't deserve to live, expecting reprimands.
Do you realize
How many desperate cries
Sweep the nation
'Cuz there ain't no transportation?
And in your deepest dreams.
No arms, no jobs, just screams.
And the retarded?
Ooops I drooled. I farted
Now in society (today, yesterday, tomorrow) cripples
Don't make disturbing comment or ripples.
I can tell this by the way you don't stare,
'Tain't fair. I swear, I swear, I swear, to dare.
Did you know there are black cripples, yellow
Cripples, red cnpples. white cripples, mellow
Lazy cnpples fat cripples, old cnpples. cruel
Cripples'? That's why they go to special school
Some of us shake Some crawl Don't do nothin', but accept
Guess what? I got muscles I got a bicep How/s that concept?
Tell you what I am I'm a cotton pickin' rammer
So’s Kocher Even Goldhammer
So the truth is across the bridge, on the other side
The revolution of the cripple is yet to be cried
It's evolution and you, my friend,
Are helping the freak in its sporting trend
Each evolutionary freak may be the power of tomorrow
Power to the cripple Power to the archetype, the limping hero!
-ARTHUR HONEYMAN (1976)
school coined an interesting but unoriginal phrase, 'The only
good CP is a dead CP." This in essence expressed the feeling
of almost all who did not suffer CP.
Very few CPs marry and very few have much of a home
life, if any, after their parents die. It is a problem for the public to
take care of those afflicted with CP For years the problem was
taken care of by conveniently tucking CPs out of sight and
putting them in a dark comer where they lethargically pass the
time. The public is slowly arriving at an awareness that the CP is
included in the human race There are special schools, special
homes, special associations for the CP. However, there is a
tendency to confine CPs or all cnpples into one little social
group
The life expectancy of a CP is considerably less than a
average person. This does not mean they die early because of
physical degeneration, but rather from psychological attitude.
This attitude is primarily from not being accepted in society on
an equal basis and not being able to do what the average person
can do.
Education is crucial to the survival of CPs as well as all
handicapped persons (even more than to non-handicapped).The
individual who is both versatile and efficient takes priority in the
job market, especially when jobs are scarce. It requires skill to
become and remain employed even in the best times. This is
especially true now when people everywhere are being laid-off.
So-called able-bodied unemployed workers can do hard labor
or other physically onented tasks Not so with CPs or other
handicapped who find it difficult to be employed at any time.
Education doesn't guarantee jobs, but it does help, especially
disabled jobseekers. During times of government cutbacks,
we "handicaps” have to be resourceful just to stay alive without
financial aid from agencies or organizations of some kind, public
or private.
I would have never have been employed without a
decent education Luckily I was able to attend college. Both
of my degrees (B.S. in History and M.A.in English) have not
directly related to any position I've held, but they give me more
credibility than no degree Combined with my real-life experi
ence, my academic education has given me the skills to create
every job I've ever had
Throughout the ages the CP has been treated more
as an animal than as a person In ancient Greece, for instance,
CPs were thrown over cliffs to their deaths because of their use
lessness — as were all physical cripples. During the Middle
Ages they were locked away in dark pits along with the mentally
insane During the Renaissance period artists depicted them as
creatures in their works A carving from ancient Egypt was dug
up of a person whose body was deformed in such a manner to
indicate he suffered from cerebral palsy
It has not been until recently that CPs were allowed out
into the streets and to intermingle in society. During the late 19th
century, for example. CPs were confined to rooms and were
more or less a thing nobody talked about. CPs are much better
off than they have ever been and the future looks bnghter than
the present The promise that modem technology and medicine
might come upon at least a partial cure has become more likely.
More than that, the public is becoming more aware and under
standing of the problems of cerebral palsy, which means CPs
can hope for a more pleasant future
Arthur Honeyman is a teacher, poet and writer He is
author of the award winning ‘Sam & His Cart' and several other
books, essays and collections of his poetry He is co-founder
of Wheel Press He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in History
and a Master of Arts in English, both from Portland State
University
Michael deWaide illustrated 'Sam & His Cart' He lives
in Astoria