Cerebral Palsy Doesn’t Stop Cape Cod Runner
Six-year-old Jayden Nogueras didn’t win last week’s 5-kilometer road race in Myrtle Beach, N.C. But that wasn’t why he ran, according to this story on The Sun News, a regional newspaper. Jayden says simply, “Finishing is winning. It’s so cool what I can do with my daddy.”
Jayden was born with a rare chromosomal disorder, cerebral palsy, and serious vision problems. His doctor even suggested he might never run or jump. But amazingly, this was the Cape Cod boy’s fourth 5K race. “The longer distances put a big smile on his face,” his father Jose Nogueras says. “He’s different and is not as fast and can’t keep up. But being out there with the thousands of runners puts it to the side. He feels like he’s just like everybody else.”
Jose Nogueras, a Coast Guardsman, has been Jayden’s running coach for all of his races. He sets the pace to ensure that Jayden does not burn himself out. Also, he scopes out the course for bumps or other hazards that might pose a risk to his son. Jayden is legally blind: He can detect the road, but can’t see any obstacles until they are right in front of him.
Jayden, like many children with cerebral palsy, has had to work extra hard to simply do what other kids might take for granted. His mother Marry Nogueras says that his running gait has improved in his countless hours of training. And since he has started running, his confidence about doing other things has increased. “It [running] teaches him he’s capable of achieving anything if he tries his best. He was apprehensive about trying to write because of his cerebral palsy and his vision, and now, not too much,” she reports.
Unfortunately, improper or negligent medical care sometimes causes cerebral palsy. If your child has suffered a birth injury such as cerebral palsy, call a nurse case manager at Sokolove Law today. Your nurse case manager will listen to your story and help you explore your options, which may include pursuing a lawsuit. There is no cost to you for us to represent you and your family in a birth injury lawsuit.
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