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Nicole Luongo | What CP Looks Like

Cerebral Palsy Awareness + Education

  • Home
  • About Nicole
    • Press
    • Published Articles
    • Contact
  • Book
  • Go Green for CP
  • Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy
    • SDR FAQS
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  • Poetry

    Begin Again

    Begin Again by Nicole Luongo is an encouraging poem for anyone who feels life has knocked them down too many times.

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  • Nicole Luongo SDR Changes Lives

    Cerebral Palsy

    How SDR Surgery Changed My Life

    Cerebral Palsy advocate Nicole Luongo vlogs about how ‘SDR Changes Lives’ one year after selective dorsal rhizotomy surgery with Dr. T.S. Park on St. Louis, on the cusp of turning 40 years old.

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  • Follow This Success Formula, Achieve Anything!

    Cerebral Palsy

    Follow This Success Formula, Achieve Anything!

    Nicole Luongo shares the success formula she applied after selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) surgery. Follow her simple advice to achieve anything in life. Ability + Motivation + Attitude = The Secret to Success!

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  • Ode to Michael Jackson: The King of Pop

    Poetry

    Ode to Michael Jackson: The King of Pop

    Michael Jackson’s death inspired poet Nicole Luongo to write an ode to The King of Pop. This clever poem will test your knowledge of 21 of his songs. How many of them do you know?

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  • Bike Camp Bravery with Cerebral Palsy

    Cerebral Palsy

    Bike Camp Bravery with Cerebral Palsy

    Cerebral palsy advocate Nicole Luongo vlogs about braving bike camp at 41 years old, after having selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) surgery in 2013. Watch her do what she once thought was impossible.

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  • Angst of Alzheimer's

    Writing

    The Angst of Alzheimer’s

    What does life look like if forgetting is your normal state of mind? Disability advocate Nicole Luongo shares her Alzheimer’s caregiver experience in honor of her mom.

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  • Social Media: Friend or Foe?

    Writing

    Social Media: Friend or Foe?

    How friendly is Facebook? Social media connects us, yet Americans are lonelier than ever. In this video, Nicole Luongo shares statistics + tips on how to stay sane, take control online.

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Meet Nicole

Welcome! I created What CP Looks Like to raise awareness for cerebral palsy, the most common disability in childhood.

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whatcplookslike
Today is National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day. LE Today is National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day. LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX! Would you go up to a person (who doesn’t appear to have a disability) and ask if they’re able to have sex? NO! So, why do people with disabilities get bombarded with these questions ALL THE TIME? Thanks for watching this excerpt from my discussion with David @cerebralpalsyandfitnesspodcast in honor of National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day (which is today, March 25)! 💚 We debunked a lot of CP myths. Click the link in David’s bio to WATCH the episode on YouTube (or listen to it wherever you listen to podcasts) or click HERE: https://youtu.be/UjumWtEzP8k Read more about at https://nicoleluongo.com/debunking-popular-cerebral-palsy-myths/ #whatCPlookslike #cerebralpalsy #myths #cerebralpalsyawareness #cerebralpalsyawarenessmonth #disabilities #sex #podcasts #Youtube #cpmyths #thinkbeforeyouspeak #reelsinstagram
In the United States, March is Cerebral Palsy Awar In the United States, March is Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month. March 25 (TOMORROW) is National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day. Cerebral palsy gets ignored by the media EVERY YEAR! It’s tiring to constantly remind people about the significance of March, especially since CP IS THE MOST COMMON PHYSICAL DISABILITY IN CHILDHOOD - for which there is no cure or federal funding. According to the @cdcgov, “recent population-based studies from around the world report prevalence estimates of CP ranging from 1 to nearly 4 per 1,000 live births or per 1,000 children.” Imagine what would happen if just 1/4 (I picked a low number on purpose) of the people (including the media) who posted about St. Patrick’s Day (a day everyone is already aware of) on social media also posted that March 25 is National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day (a day most people have never heard of) in the U.S. (March is also Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month). Maybe then, advocates like me wouldn’t have to shout it from the rooftops. Think about it…but, don’t think too long because Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month will be over in SEVEN days. If you’d like to help, wear GREEN TOMORROW MARCH 25 ON NATIONAL CEREBRAL PALSY AWARENESS DAY and tell people why you’re wearing it. Thank you! 💚 I asked the CP community to contribute to my video project (see pinned post or reel) telling people ONE THING THEY SHOULD KNOW ABOUT CEREBRAL PALSY. The adults with CP (@uniqli_vivvi, @creativejj.photography, @oswaldperez85 @alex_kaiser0 who’ve already participated did a FANTASTIC job! I’m looking forward to seeing more videos tomorrow. 😉 NOTE: I didn't create the graphic, and I don't know who did. #advocacy #whatCPlookslike #cerebralpalsy #cerebralpalsyawareness #inclusion #representationmatters ID: A graphic with a green background a white letters that say March 25th is National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day. Below the text, it says Wear some green...spread some love! There's a white ribbon at the bottom.
We need to talk about disability language because We need to talk about disability language because #WordsMatter!!! Clearly there’s more work to be done if a neighbor who’s known me for close to 25 years describes me as “handicapped” and says it takes me awhile to get to the door (not true) to another neighbor, who inquired because he knocked on my door and I didn’t answer. I know this because went to the pool the other day. Two people sat down to talk. As I read my magazine, I overheard a woman raving to her friend about THE @instantpotofficial! I started talking to them (hello, I’m obsessed with my #InstantPot (s) and didn’t leave until FIVE hours later. As it turns out, the guy (and his wife, who wasn’t at the pool) live in the unit above me. They wanted to let me know that they’re installing new flooring, and to make sure the noise wasn’t too loud. Apparently, he knocked on my door the other day (no answer) and again today (no answer) not knowing I was at the pool. So, he told my neighbor at the end of the hall (who is the Treasurer on the board), and asked if she could let me know about the noise. That’s when I asked what she said. I was SHOCKED when he told me that she described me as handicapped! He said (based on what she told him) that he was expecting an elderly person in a wheelchair. I was so mad I think I he was afraid of me (joking, he understood)! Here’s a description my neighbor could have given INSTEAD: “My neighbor Nicole lives there. We don’t see her much, but she’s an author and a disability advocate. She’s pretty cool!” She has cerebral palsy, so I don’t know if it takes her awhile to get to the door or not.” What’s the LESSON? 1. The word handicapped isn’t appropriate language anymore. 2. The fact that I have a disability doesn’t HAVE to be the reason why I didn’t answer the door. Maybe I didn’t hear the knock, maybe I was in the shower, or maybe I wasn’t home (I was but I bring this up because disabled people have lives, too). Come on! P.S. The last time she came to my door, it took me longer to answer it because I was going to the BATHROOM. Also, I don't "suffer" with CP. READ: https://nicoleluongo.com/media-must-end-cerebral-palsy-news-trend/ Can you relate? #Quotes
In the United States, March is Cerebral Palsy Awar In the United States, March is Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month. March 25 is National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day. I participated in this project 5 years ago. Watch my pinned reel to learn how to participate in my 2023 project ONE THING YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT CP to help raise awareness. Please use the hashtag I created #whatCPlookslike, tag me @whatcplookslike. I look forward to seeing your videos! For more information about CP, go to my bio OR https://nicoleluongo.com/category/cerebral-palsy/ Here's What I want you to know about cerebral palsy: VD: Nicole is wearing a green and white top with her hair pulled back. She says: “My name is Nicole Luongo. What I want people to know about cerebral palsy is that adults and children who have cerebral palsy contribute positively to society. We are authors, we are writers, we are bloggers, we are YouTubers, we are athletes, we are musicians. We do a little bit of everything. So, if you have cerebral palsy, or if you're a parent of a child who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, don't despair, look into your options and know that we are 17 million strong, and WE ARE HERE!” 💚💚💚 #NicoleLuongo #DisabilityAdvocate #whatCPlookslike #CerebralPalsy #CerebralPalsyAwareness #GoGreen4CP #Inclusion #RepresentationMatters #WhatIWantYouToKnow #YouTube
March is Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month. March 25 March is Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month. March 25 is National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day. In honor of #InternationalWomensDay, let's shine a light on all of the phenomenal women with #cerebralpalsy, their moms, caregivers, sisters, etc.! In the comments, tag your favorite women with CP, women with #disabilities, or just your favorite women! P.S. I can only tag 20 women, so I’ll mention more in the comments. 💚💚 From internationalwomensday.com: "The aim of the IWD 2023 #EmbraceEquity campaign theme is to get the world talking about Why equal opportunities aren't enough. People start from different places, so true inclusion and belonging require equitable action." FREE downloadable resources are available here: https://www.internationalwomensday.com/Resources #EmbraceEquity #CerebralPalsy #CerebralPalsyAwarenessMonth #CerebralPalsyAwareness #whatCPlookslike #Accessibility #Diversity #Equity #Inclusion #RepresentationMatters #Intersectionality #IWD2023 #women #girlsruletheworld #celebratewomen #womenwithdisabilities #cpkids #phenomenalwomen #womensupportingwomen
@uniqli_vivvi, THANK YOU for participating (I’m @uniqli_vivvi, THANK YOU for participating (I’m pretty sure you’re the 1st) in my project for #CPAwarenessMonth! PLEASE SHARE! In the United States, March is Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month. March 25 is also National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day. Despite the fact that cerebral palsy is the most common physical disability in childhood — for which there’s NO cure or federal funding — our day + month go virtually unnoticed by the media every year. I’m on a mission to change this, and I want to hear from YOU! Here’s my idea (see video in my post + reels): Make a short video saying “One thing you should know about cerebral palsy is” and then tell the world what you want people to know about our disability. Share your video far and wide. Anyone can participate, so kids that means you, too. GO! Please tag someone with CP in the comments so they can participate. Let’s show the world #whatCPlookslike! #cerebralpalsy #representationmatters #GoGreen4CP #useyourvoice #useyourvoiceforchange #cerebralpalsyawarenessmonth #OneThing #Trustfall #Pink @pink
PLEASE SHARE! In the United States, March is Cereb PLEASE SHARE! In the United States, March is Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month. March 25 is also National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day. Despite the fact that cerebral palsy is the most common physical disability in childhood — for which there’s NO cure or federal funding — our day + month go virtually unnoticed by the media every year. I’m on a mission to change this, and I want to hear from YOU! Here’s my idea: Make a short video saying “One thing you should know about cerebral palsy is” and then tell the world what you want people to know about our disability. Share your video far and wide. Anyone can participate, so kids that means you, too. GO! Please tag someone with CP in the comments so they can participate. Let’s show the world #whatCPlookslike! 💚 VD (thank you @r.a.r.e.advoc8): Nicole, creator of @whatcplookslike, is an Italian American woman with short brown hair curled at the ends wearing a light green tank top. #reels #cerebralpalsy #cerebralpalsyawareness #cerebralpalsyawarenessmonth #cpkids #representationmatters #GoGreen4CP #Florida #useyourvoiceforchange #useyourvoice
This is my #superbowl. Why? 1. I have a disability This is my #superbowl. Why? 1. I have a disability. Since representation is lacking in the media, being seen on National t.v. is a big deal. It's a win for the entire cerebral palsy community - that's one of the reasons I wanted to be on the show. I've done so much advocacy work over the years to try to get CP represented in the National media. I couldn't get thru the front door, so I went thru another one! 2. I'm not wearing ANY makeup in the photo. Most people don't know that I had terrible acne (and people would actually say things like, "But you're so pretty"...meaning, if it weren't for the bumps on my face....yeah, I know...UGH.) well into my 30s. Long story short, but everything changed when I found an all natural product that cleared my skin. Having a physical disability (that got glares and stares) AND bad skin? NOT FUN. 3. I'll be 50 in June. It's a miracle I was born (weighing just 2 lbs 13 ounces), so to make it to a half a century old...WOW! 4. I'm virtually invisible in my day-to-day life. I'm alone all the time, and all of my friends are online. It's so hard not being connected to anyone (on a consistent basis) in real life. Being a member of Start TODAY makes me feel like I'm part of a family. Everyone really cares about each other. 5. Look at my ARMS!!! I've been working out for years, but I can't life heavy weights (and I'm okay with it). I use 3 lb + 5 lb weights for everything! People with CP can workout; do things you don't THINK they can do. Don't write us off just because we have a disability. So, the next time you see a picture, remember that it might not tell the entire story! 💚💚💚 #NicoleLuongo #Almost50 #BucketList #CerebralPalsy #CerebralPalsyAwareness #whatCPlookslike #RepresentationMatters #Disabilities #DisabilityInclusion #Inclusion #SDRChangesLives #TodayShow #StartToday #Health #Fitness #GHUTVSquad #Wellness #ThankYou @stepitupwithsteph @todayshow
If you watch the 3rd Hour of TODAY, you might have If you watch the 3rd Hour of TODAY, you might have seen me on the big board THIS morning! *Watch the video in my reels, stories.* I hardly ever see adults with CP on t.v. I’ve been on a mission to change that for MANY years. Thank you @stepitupwithsteph @alroker @craigmelvinnbc @dylandreyernbc @sheinelle_o and everyone at @todayshow in our Start Today FB group. MORE news! My appearance in the latest episode of Start Today (which came out this week; it’s online and on @peacock) was pushed to another month so, I’ll be on TWICE. Stay Tuned to find out when it airs. ID: A picture of Nicole in a bright coral tank top. She’s flexing her right bicep, and she’s smiling at the camera. 💚💚💚 #NicoleLuongo #Almost50 #BucketList #CerebralPalsy #whatCPlookslike #DisabledAndCute #NoMakeup #TodayShow #StartToday #GHUTVSquad #Health #Fitness #Wellness #RepresentationMatters #DreamsComeTrue #HardWorkPaysOff #SDRChangesLives #Florida #SouthFlorida #SmallButMighty #ThankYou
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