Girl With Cerebral Palsy Takes Her First Independent Steps

A 6-year-old girl with cerebral palsy beats all odds to take her first independent steps. This video has been a sensation and has allowed this precious child to become an inspiration to thousands of people to look at life differently.Show more

When the video begins, the child can be seen standing stationary in the center of the room. This is the place where this child receives physical therapy, and the therapist is the man behind her assisting her. The therapist helps the little girl stand still, and everyone holds their breath for what they are hoping will happen next.

This child is from Sydney, Australia. She has a condition called Cerebral Palsy, which often cripples a person in drastic ways. Many patients with this condition never learn at all to walk on their own, which is heartbreaking. Some of these people never even have the ability to actually speak. It is important to remember that this is a physical disease, so many of the people with Cerebral Palsy are mentally and cognitively right where they should be at whatever their age is. Many parents of children with this condition will state that their child is in no way mentally handicapped, and they insist that the child fully understands everything that is said to them just as any “normal” child without this disease would.

Four seconds into the video, the child begins taking her first step. Before this moment, this little girl had always required the assistance of a walker or canes that are often used by children with the condition. She looks to be somewhere between the ages of 5 and 7, so imagine what it must be like to live for years without being able to just jump out of bed and head out the door on your own if you wanted to. The children plagued with this disease are some of the strongest individuals you could ever meet. These children go through more in one day than most do in a year or even a lifetime. They battle constant health concerns, physical concerns, depression, anxiety, and dozens of other adversities every day in their lives, and they many times never seem to lose their spirit. These kids resiliently fight through every day with hope and joy in their hearts, and they inspire just about everyone they meet.

The whole world rejoices with this child and her parents when she takes that second step completely by herself. The sweetest and most adorable part is the very end when she turns to look at her parent, who is behind the camera making this recording the entire time. The little girl gives her parent the most adorable smile that will absolutely melt your heart. She is so proud of herself. She probably does not even realize yet how amazing she is.

This child will undoubtedly go on to amaze her family throughout her life as she learns how to do one new thing after another. She has persevered through so much already, and it looks like she is nowhere near finished.