Tristan Murphy is a 21-year-old young man and a current high school student in Kinross, MI. He has many goals but none as strong as learning to walk so he can cross the stage and receive his diploma. 

1 in 345 children are diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and the CDC shows that while there is only four main types of Cerebral Palsy no two people have the same symptoms. Cerebral Palsy can come along with vision, hearing, or intellectual delays which makes treatment that much more challenging. Tristan has a rarer form of Cerebral Palsy that combines spastic quadriplegia, that affects his legs and arms, and dyskinetic (lack of trunk control) that affects his upper body. 

While the Cerebral Palsy Research Network confirms the 1 in 345 children, but takes the a step farther and shows that Cerebral Palsy is more common amongst boys than girls. According to information released in 2010 it was also more common amongst black children than white children due to higher risk of premature babies. 

The Cerebral Palsy Center discusses that the average price per person with Cerebral Palsy is almost $1.7 million for the lifetime. This is an added problem that Trisha and Tristan face. The financial burden is growing every year as the price of wheelchairs and car seats increase as he gets taller. The insurance only covers certain pieces of equipment and does not cover any bathroom necessities. Some of the equipment was covered by insurance and some of it was covered out of pocket to make sure Tristan has everything he needs for a comfortable way of life.

While Tristan and Trisha could focus on the struggle and honestly chose not to. The focus lies on adventures and meeting goals. His sense of humor intact and wants everyone to know he more than just Cerebral Palsy.