Student with Cerebral Palsy Takes College Degree

3 Jan, 2013 18:00 CET

A 22-year-old Kentucky woman has overcome her disability to earn a college degree.

The graduate, Kirsten Barraclough, was born with cerebral palsy, a birth injury that affects the areas of the brain that control muscle movement. Barraclough studied “day and night” to earn her English degree at the University of Louisville, according to an article on WHAS11.com, a local news site. Now she plans to work as a librarian.

She admits it wasn’t always easy. “I motivated myself by keeping at it," Barraclough said.

Her mother, Marilyn Barraclough, also played a role in her daughter’s triumph. She drove her daughter to school, brought her to classes, and always cheered her on. The university even named Marilyn Barraclough “Parent of the Year” in 2011. Barraclough’s parents also helped her by designing a special home study that allows her mobility and the ability to do all of the work herself.

Cerebral palsy is a disability resulting from injury to the brain before, during or after birth. Approximately 8,000 infants born in the United States are diagnosed with cerebral palsy annually.

If you think your child may have suffered from negligent medical care that resulted in a birth injury such as cerebral palsy, call us today.