By Amy Wolff
Photo courtesy of the Allgaier family
Five-year-old Norah Allgaier is making an enormous impact for a little girl. The Cave Creek resident was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, the most common motor disorder for kids in the U.S., when she was 13 months old. Norah is in a wheelchair and is nonverbal. But, just like other 5-year-olds, she loves to play with friends – even if it looks slightly different than a typical kid her age – which inspired a special children’s book, “Norah’s World.”
“When Norah was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, my world was rocked,” says her mom, Brittany Allgaier. “I didn’t know anyone personally with a disability and I was pretty unfamiliar with the disability community.”
According to her mother, Norah has always been very sociable. Though she is nonverbal, she is very expressive and loves spending time with other kids. Not long ago, Norah was having a playdate with a friend who was about the same age, Makena, who asked a lot of questions about Norah, like why she didn’t walk or talk.
“I knew we would have to address these questions at some point,” says Brittany. “Up until this point, Norah was so little it wasn’t an issue. As parents, we knew we needed to answer the questions honestly, in a way that provided age-appropriate information but was also sensitive and inspired acceptance.”
Makena’s mom, Lacee Johnson, surprised Brittany and Norah a few months later with a book about Norah and her life, called “Norah’s World.” The children’s book is designed to answer the innocent questions kids have about disabilities. It explains that Norah is just like any other kid who loves to play – she just does things a little differently.
“Norah is like a ray of sunshine and exudes kindness and love everywhere she goes. Her energy is contagious, and she has the best smile. It is no wonder she inspired a book about inclusion and acceptance,” says Blair Lebeck, physical therapist at United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Central Arizona.
Norah is a community ambassador for UCP of Central Arizona, one of the state’s oldest private, nonprofit health and human service organizations. In her role, she inspires others with cerebral palsy and works to increase awareness of disability issues across the Valley.
In addition to physical therapy, she also receives speech and occupational therapy at UCP of Central Arizona. In less than two years at UCP, Norah has made tremendous strides. With the help of her therapy team, she can now walk short distances in her walker, stand with minimal support for several minutes and communicate in short phrases on her augmentative and alternative communication device that she calls a “talker.”
For more information about “Norah’s World,” visit amazon.com. A portion of the proceeds from each book sold will go towards Norah’s ongoing intensive therapies. For more information about UCP of Central Arizona, visit ucpofcentralaz.org.
