Charity of the month: Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore

Increasingly and more often than not, we are guilty of getting overwhelmed with the festivities and gift giving during this time of year and forgetting about the true spirit of Christmas.

What was supposed to be the season of giving and thinking of those who are less fortunate has become an excuse to over-indulge. And before you assume we are preaching – we actually are not as we are as guilty as everyone else in that sense.

However it doesn’t always have to be one extreme or another. A simple thought and act of kindness can sometimes make so much difference.

As someone who has intimate knowledge of Cerebral Palsy, I especially feel I have a certain responsibility spreading awareness about this condition in particular. Growing up with a close family member who has a severe form of the CP made me understand it more, and in turn I wanted to spread the word – as to hopefully inspire others to give those people a thought especially during the holiday season.

Luckily in Singapore, we have the Cerebral Palsy Alliance (CPAS) that is helping hundreds of people with the condition to fulfill their best potential.

To highlight their cause further – and give you an idea of what it is like to live with the condition – we caught up with Ms Dawn Lee Sau Ching, Corporate Communication Executive at CPAS and Xiu Zhen Ng, an inspiring young woman who is flying the Singaporean flag high at Paralympics events around the world.

Born with hearing loss and spastic diplegia cerebral palsy, Xui Zhen’s condition does not stop her from enjoying sports activities. She has recently represented Singapore at RYA Sailability Multi Class Regatta held in Peterborough, England, where she came in second, and at the Asian Para Games 2014 at South Korea last month.

Check out our interviews with Dawn and Xui Zen as part of our Charity of the Month: Cerebral Palsy report.

• What is Cerebral Palsy: Q&A with Dawn Lee Sau Ching from CPAS
• What is it like to live with Cerebral Palsy: Q&A with Singapore’s Paralympics star Xui Zen Ng

For more information about Cerebral Palsy, you can contact CPAS on +65 6585 5600

During the holiday season, The Body Shop is teaming up with CPAS to send a child to a class with every specially selected gift you buy. The initiative aims to provide experiential learning classes for children 6 years old and below through the Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC). A selection of The Body Shop festive gift sets is available here.

Rana Wehbe