Welcome to Create Possibilities! I am incredibly excited for this new adventure…it feels a bit like the birth of a new baby; lots of anticipation, planning, preparation, worries about the unknown, and so on. However, I must admit that the labor pains have been much easier to deal with, and the “gestation” period has been a bit longer!
The idea of developing a non-profit to raise money for Cerebral Palsy research first came to me in the spring of 2008. I was still struggling to come to terms with Olivia’s diagnosis, as well as raising her older sister, Elena, while also trying to deal with my own breast cancer diagnosis. To say that I was grasping for something positive is an understatement! It began, as so many things do, as a 3:00 am brainstorm.
I was tired of thinking of the letters “CP” as representing only the negative feelings I had about Cerebral Palsy. In my state of insomnia, I started trying to think of other things that those letters could stand for. Some ideas were better than others… “Cold Pizza” didn’t seem quite so inspirational! But others, like “Change Perceptions” and “Challenge Prejudice” resonated more. I thought about how these words could inspire people. I pictured positive phrases on t-shirts, their wearers spreading hopeful thoughts that had meaning beyond just my own situation. And then I thought about the amazing things that happen when people are inspired. Inspiration could be a catalyst to raise funds for finding a cure for Cerebral Palsy.
I hope that Create Possibilities will inspire you to touch the lives of children with Cerebral Palsy, because I truly believe that together we can make a difference. I can’t wait to see how this new “baby” grows and develops!