We are hoping with everyone’s help we can make a fabulous first cookbook with collections of recipes from all over the country. We’re looking for recipes in all categories  – from main dish to desserts,  after dinner drinks to your favorite kiddo’s dish. Feel free to send as many recipes as you would like! The person that sends in the most original recipes in each category will be awarded a free cookbook!

Ideas to think about when deciding on a recipe:
-       You could send in a region-specific recipe. (for example, I live in GA  and could send in a peach or vidalia onion recipe) 
-       We would love to have families submit dairy free and gluten free recipes if they have them.
-       Pick your family favorites!

Please email or mail your favorite recipes and include your name, city and state. Also, please include how your life is affected with CP (if you have a child, grandchild, friend, or neighbor).  You can even dedicate your recipe to someone.

If you would like to tell us your story, and send one picture, we may feature it in the cookbook.

Forward your recipes to achampion@reachingforthestars.org , or mail them to 3995 Copper Leaf Lane, Cumming GA 30040 Attn: Anna Marie Champion by Friday August 6, 2010 to be included in the cookbook. If you have any questions call 877-561-RFTS.

All proceeds will go to RFTS, Inc. and into finding a cure for CP.   We are looking forward to getting all your recipes!

Our first-ever parent spotlight features Kristi Trotter of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Kristi is an amazing wife and mother of three children.  Here is her story in her own words.  Prepare to be inspired!

My name is Kristi Trotter and I am a mom of Isabella Grace, a beautiful little girl with cerebral palsy.  We also have two boys, Nate is nine, and Ben is six and a half years old.  Isabella is Ben’s twin and was ‘twin B’ or delivered second.   The strength to overcome the details of her birth has taken immense effort.  I delivered the twins naturally, Ben or ‘twin A’ was an easy delivery and surprisingly we were to find out that a vacuum suction was used unnecessarily on Bella.  It fractured her skull and the bleeds on her brain from this injury caused a lifelong diagnosis for her.  Not only was she not developing the same as Ben or gaining weight, but she was extremely inconsolable, and that stayed with her for the first few years of her life.

The disappointment of missing our ‘celebration’ of the twins’ birth has been a life changing experience for my husband and I.  I had become jealous of other moms who don’t have children with special needs, and feel sad because Bella won’t have certain experiences in her life that a typical developing little girl would.  My strength has come from several sources, my faith being at the center.  I knew that this ‘happened for a reason’ but also got tired of hearing that from every other person I talked to.  People could empathize with my situation, but not really associate with my frustrations.  This has been part of the learning curve, I didn’t choose this for my life, but I needed to embrace it to make it a positive situation.

Isabella is today a happy, social little girl, who is fully integrated into Kindergarten.   This took a lot of extra work with the school system, but it is where she is meant to be.  She has a para professional that assists her one on one and we get respite help at home.  She walks with a walker and talks using some verbal, sign and the assistance of her Springboard Lite communication device.  She still has a certain degree of irritation/frustration only at home, when we don’t understand what she wants.   Bella is tiny like a lot of other kids with CP, she has eating and drinking issues, but we can grind a lot of food to make it possible for her to eat a greater variety.  Bella is in Daisy Scouts, basketball, swimming and jazz dance.  At 6, we are finally conquering potty training.  She also has her weekly physical therapy and speech appointments.  Bella has had only two surgeries, strabismus surgery on her eyes and a bilateral osteotomies to correct hip dysplasia.

We are about to celebrate something very exciting that will bring a lot more joy to our lives and the lives of many other parents.  We are working on establishing Iowa’s first Reaching for the Stars chapter.  I met Anna Marie and Cindy in the summer of 2007 at the CP Conference (in St. Louis, MO).  I couldn’t believe the connection I felt with their ideas and experiences.  I knew at some point in my life I needed to do something to contribute in a bigger way, to look for more medical research for this underfunded diagnosis.  I would not have believed it would happen this fast.  But I am overjoyed to know that all of our extra energy in caring for our daughter, and appointments to assist her development, would amount to a greater effort to make changes for her and other children with Cerebral Palsy.  Along with a group of parents and volunteers, I am organizing a CP focused fundraiser that will lead to a new chapter for our state.  The information is at our website www.crreachingforthestars.com, and features 3 adults with CP:  Comedian Josh Blue, Michael Kutcher and Dr. Jan Brunstrom-Hernandez.  I am faithful knowing that Isabella Grace was meant to be exactly who she is and that I was meant to advocate for her.

We would like to welcome these new chapters around the U.S.to the RFTS Family!

RFTS Cincinnati/ Northern Kentucky chapter
Leader- Trisha Brearton, email: trisha.brearton@hotmail.com

The Cincinnati/ Northern Kentucky RFTS chapter has been very active in raising Cerebral Palsy awareness for over a year now. This chapter, now led by Trisha Brearton, celebrated several CP Awareness Days in conjunction with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.  They have partnered with local Kroger Grocery Stores to do lemonade stands, participated in Disability Employment Awareness Day in downtown Cincinnati, and is helping support the first ever CP Expo in Cincinnati this year!

The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky chapter holds regular meetings, so if you’re a parent of a child with CP in the Cincinnati/ Northern Kentucky area, please contact Trisha Brearton to get involved. They would love to have you!!

RFTS Columbus, OH

CP Parent Columbus, A Family Resource Group for Cerebral Palsy
Leaders – Patty Lyons, email: p.lyons@sbcglobal.net
Lynn Fogel, email: lfogel@insight.rr.com,
This group of wonderful parents had a CP parent group already up and running before joining forces with RFTS.  We are thrilled they decided to join forces with us and become a RFTS Chapter. The new Columbus RFTS chapter held a very successful CP Awareness Day at a local mall this past March. The Columbus RFTS chapter is doing wonderful things!  Please contact either Patty Lyons or Lynn Fogel to get involved or learn more about the chapter activities. 

RFTS Chicago, Illinois
Leader: Michelle Carol-Piver, email: cpmom3@hotmail.com
Anne Marie Splitstone, email: thesplitstones@gmail.com

One of our newest official RFTS chapter just launched this past fall in Chicago led by Michelle Carol-Piver and Anne Marie Splitstone.  They are bringing all of Chicagoland together to meet the needs of families with children with cerebral palsy.  In conjunction with the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Michelle and Anne Marie organized a very successful and well-attended family picnic. Please contact Michelle or Anne Marie for more information!

RFTS New York
Leader Sheri Moreno, email: slmoreno19@aol.com

After a very successful inaugural conference coordinated by Bassett Healthcare in Cooperstown, NY this past fall, upstate New York families are ready to move forward with launching a RFTS Chapter.  This active group of families has already made significant contributions increasing Cerebral Palsy awareness, assisting RFTS and securing corporate assistance.
If you would like to help or get involved, please contact Sheri Moreno.

Washington D.C.
A family is interested in starting a RFTS chapter in Washington D.C. and would love your help. If live in this area and want to get involved in launching a new RFTS please contact:
Joe and Jennifer Moore
Home: 301/913-2913
Work: 301/986-0840
Email: jmoore@vetlawyers.com

Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Although not an official RFTS chapter quite yet, this active and committed group of families is coordinating a major comedy night April 24th with well-known comedian of “Last Comic Standing” and CP fame, Josh Blue www.joshblue.com ,and special guest Michael Kutcher (yes, Ashton’s twin brother!) who is active in the Cedar Rapids community and also has CP.   This fundraising event will be called “Laugh Yourself ‘Blue’ for Cerebral Palsy”.

The date is set for Saturday, April 24, 2010, from 6pm – Midnight at the Clarion Hotel.  The event will feature an appetizer dinner/dessert, wine tasting, a live and silent auction, comedian Josh Blue (winner of Last Comic Standing 2006 and has Cerebral Palsy), and live music.   The goal is to raise $20,000 to further the Reaching for the Stars mission of creating new medicines and treatments for children with Cerebral Palsy.  Corporate sponsors so far are United Fire Group and Justice Electric.

If you live in the Cedar Rapids area, or just want to make a fun road trip…..please make plans to attend on April 24th!  You’ll laugh yourself silly and support a great cause.  
Contact Kristi Trotter, email: aknbitrotter@msn.com
Home # 319.378.1901
Cell # 319.551.2787

We are currently assisting the NIH in recruiting for their new Leg Motor Coordination in Children with Cerebral Palsy RFTSNIHRecruitmentflyerCP1rev1229[1] .  If you are interested in learning more, please click on the link.  This study is focused on neural plasticity and how fast activity may improve brain and motor function.

We are also continuing our partnership with Dr. Jan Brunstrom-Hernandez, Washington University School of Medicine, and a team of leading investigators from around the United States as part of the “Baclofen Efficacy and Safety Trial – Pediatric Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Study of Oral Baclofen for the Treatment of Spasticity Associated with Cerebral Palsy”. For additional information on this study and a list of participating sites please Click Here or refer to the resource section of our website.

We are gratified to have parents, physicians and scientists working together to advance science and make a significant difference in the medical outlook for our children. RFTS will be closely involved in finalizing the data elements and forms to be used in several national research projects, serving as a liaison with other families, and encouraging family participation on a national level in these efforts.

Please refer to the Resources section of our website where you will find information about pediatric cerebral palsy clinical trials around the country, as well as resources you can turn to for more information both nationally and in your area.

Click Here

Important Documents

RFTS Testimony RFTS Fact Sheet

Letters of Support for RFTS

United Cerebral Palsy Foundation AACPDM Child Neurology Society

All national lawmakers emphasized the importance of parents raising their voices, writing letters to their Congressmen, Congresswomen, Senators and the President expressing how important it is to have national Cerebral Palsy research come to the foreground of national medical research and surveillance being conducted. The more letters, phone calls, emails and faxes that are sent now during this critical budget time, the better chance we have to all make a difference.

If you are interested in more information please call us at the phone number listed on our Contact Us page, reach us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/reach4stars or email us. We would love to have more families involved. There are many ways you can help.

It’s not too late to add your voice. We can’t afford to be silent. We need to continue to speak up and let our national lawmakers know why we need more federally funded, national cerebral palsy research. We encourage you to use the main points in our Fact Sheet to your Senators and Congressmen. One person really can make a difference!

Your faxes and emails really do make a difference. Please let your voices be heard.

Why might you want to follow up with a phone call? There are thousands of new bills being introduced in Congress. There simply is not the time to review in detail all of these bills. There are hundreds (if not more than 1,000) health care related bills introduced in the Congress every year and a member usually has only one staffer partially dedicated to working on health care issues. National lawmakers need to know that CP research is important as they are making their funding decisions. Tell them that it is.

Please join us on our journey of hope and change. Thank you!

Reaching For The Stars. A Foundation Of Hope For Children With Cerebral Palsy
Advocacy in Action Committee