About us
The Fondation Paralysie Cérébrale, only foundation fully dedicated to the condition in France.
Our history
In 2005, three associations take the initiative to create a research foundation dedicated to cerebral palsy, aiming at addressing a fundamental efficiency in this field.
Indeed, cerebral palsy, although it concerns 125 000 people in France and constitutes the first motor disability in children, is not studied enough and still unknown by the general public and many medical professionals. This multifaceted condition, described only in the last decades, has the specificity of concerning many disciplines: neonatology, pediatric neurology, neurosciences, rehabilitation in all its forms, orthopedic surgery, treatment of pain, a.s.o. Without coordination, information is poorly distributed, resources are scattered and research does not advance.
The ambition was to create a foundation whose mission would be to coordinate research in the various disciplines, spread knowledge & information and raise funds to finance the research.
Thus, to meet a crucial need, the Fondation Motrice (which became the Fondation Paralysie Cérébrale a few years later) emerged in 2005 thanks to parents associations, health professionals and with the support of the Ministry of Higher Education and Research.
The foundation is a crossroad between people affected by cerebral palsy, their families, researchers and resource providers. It is the product of a commitment and a collective mobilisation to allow children and adults affected by cerebral palsy to exercise their freedom.
It recognises the values held by the United Nation Convention regarding the rights of disabled people and the European Union Charter of fundamental rights.
Our founding members
The “Association pour l'Education Thérapeutique et la Réadaptation des Enfants IMC” (Association for the Therapeutic Education and Rehabilitation of IMC Children), created in 1978, followed children and their families from kindergarten to integration into mainstream schools or special education through educational and rehabilitation actions. It merged in 2013 with the GIMC (Group of disabled with cerebral palsy), to become ENVOLUDIA, and now works for the fulfillment and autonomy of children & adults affected by cerebral palsy.
The “Société d'Etudes et de Soins pour les Enfants Paralysés et Polymalformés” (SESEP) - Society of Studies and Care for Paralysed and Malformed Children was created in 1947. Its activity evolved from caring for children with poliomyelitis to welcoming and caring for infants and young children with motor disability. It develops actions for social accompaniment and has a genetics laboratory.
This association issued from APETREIMC gathers and implements the necessary means to foster autonomy of adults affected by cerebral palsy and to reduce disability. It created living centres and urban adapted flats. Today, management of these living centres has been transferred to OVE (since 2017).
The « Cercle de Documentation et d'Information pour la rééducation des infirmes moteurs cérébraux » - Circle of Documentation and Information for the rehabilitation of people affected by cerebral palsy, created in 1959, gathers professionals specialised in cerebral palsy. It organises study days, delivers training, helps the creation of regional work groups, a.s.o.
Our missions
The missions of the Fondation Paralysie Cérébrale are:
Promote and support research and innovation relating to cerebral palsy;
Work to improve quality of care, diffusion of good practices and spreading of knowledge;
Respond to emergency situations in the field of cerebral palsy.
Its research fields are: medical and biomedical sciences, social sciences and humanities, education sciences, technological research and engineering sciences and more generally everything that contributes to the prevention of cerebral palsy and to quality of life improvement.
These missions are carried out according to the following principles:
Respect of people;
Research excellence;
Development of international cooperation;
Application of research progress to everyday life.
Discover the foundation in video
You will discover its interventions, in order of appearance of:
- M Alain Chatelin, present President of the Fondation
- Pr Olivier Baud, pediatric Professor, neonatology specialist, former President of the Scientific Board and present administrator of the Fondation
- Ms Gaëlle Drewnowki, Expert Patient, member of the Scientific Board
- Pr Sylvain Brochard, Professor of Physical Medicine and pediatric Rehabilitation (MPR), and one of the CAP project coordinators; this is the first Europe-wide project financed and supported by the foundation in 2018.
