At the age of one, he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and doctors said he would never to be able to read, write or speak, or even manage to perform any of his daily functions. More than two decades later, Magdy Shahir Abdel Sayed graduated from the American University in Cairo (AUC) in February 2015 despite his diagnosis. Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of neurological disorders that appear in infancy or early childhood and permanently affect body movement, muscle coordination and balance. CP affects the part of the brain that controls muscle movements. In its most common form, it affects cognition and physical ability. However, Abdel Sayed was only affected physically and, despite doctors’ gloomy outlook on his cognitive development, Abdel Sayed was able to identify all the colors by the age of two. “I consider it to be a slight disability because, with my determination and strong will, I am able to do almost everything myself,” Abdel Sayed told Egyptian Streets. Although Abdel Sayed and his parents have been determined to prove doctors’ prognosis of his disability, he faced several struggles in entering and enduring in Egypt’s educational system. Many…
Egyptian With Cerebral Palsy Defies Expectations, Inspires ‘Differently-Abled’ Community
July 11, 2016
