Hudson Birkin was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at the age of four. Today his mother, Suzanne, 51, talks about her fight to advocate for the care her son needs…  

When it comes to raising her eight-year-old son with cerebral palsy, devoted mother, Suzanne Birkin finds it best to take one day at a time.  

“It’s hard to think way into the future for Hudson,” says Suzanne, who lives with her son and husband, Carl, in Coventry in the United Kingdom. “We primarily concentrate on challenges as they arise and make sure he is happy and feels like a valued member of his community.” 

The little boy who loves to draw and build blocks was first diagnosed in 2016 when he was four-years-old after his parents noticed he was not reaching developmental milestones as a baby and toddler.  

In addition to CP Hudson also has a speech disorder. Since his diagnosis, he has undergone physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and neurology consultations, all through the UK’s free National Health Service (NHS). This care has helped Hudson progress to taking independent steps while wearing splints and using a walker, but his family is unsure whether the NHS can adequately support his long-term needs.  

“We are lucky to get our medical needs covered by the NHS, but the help is limited,” explains Suzanne. “When Hudson got to the point where he was walking independently, his therapy was scaled back to once a year to review his progress. It’s frustrating. It feels like the NHS gets you to the bare minimum, and then they let you go. Hudson can only walk about 20 steps on his own! I’ve learned that you have to shout and complain to get more from the NHS. It works sometimes, but other times they just can’t provide.” 

Determined for their son to reach his full potential, Suzanne and Carl pay for their son to have private physical therapy consultations twice a year and private music therapy classes that help with his speech.  

Five days a week, Hudson attends Sherbourne Fields School, an all-age school for students with a broad spectrum of needs, including physical disabilities, medical conditions, and learning needs. The school facilities include a swimming pool, multi-sensory room, soft play area, and a strength and conditioning gym. 

“It is a fantastic school,” Suzanne says. “Hudson loves the routine and enjoys the social aspect of being with his classmates.” 

Suzanne, a dance teacher with three grown-up step-children in addition to Hudson, relies on family and friends and self-care to get through the challenging moments. 

“Yoga and concentrating on my breathing help me,” she says. “Escaping in my work helps too, and I have very supportive friends. I have a group of mommy friends whose children all have special needs. They just get it and understand the ups and downs.” 

As she supports Hudson through his CP challenges, Suzanne is thankful to be part of the CP Research Network and the opportunity to participate in research to help advance knowledge of Hudson’s condition. The family has already contributed to a speech research project via the network. 

“It was gratifying to see multiple-choice questions that reflected Hudson’s development,” she says of the experience. “Usually, I have to tick “other” because an appropriate answer isn’t on there. I felt validated and listened to. I’m happy to participate in anything that can bring more awareness to CP.” 

Right now, she is enjoying seeing Hudson grow and find his way. 

“Hudson is a quiet boy when you first meet him but opens up the more comfortable he gets,” she smiles. “He is interested in geography and loves to go on Google maps and look up his neighborhood and where his grandparents live in the U.S. He can navigate very well from Philadelphia, to where we live, to where his aunt lives in the south of England. He’s good at getting around! He is still working out what he wants to be when he grows up and sometimes says he wants to be a dance teacher like his mom or help people like his dad, who cares for adults with learning disabilities. I hope he has every opportunity to pursue any dream he wants to.”