Children's Hemiplegia and Stroke Association

Home
About CHASA
     History
     Who we serve
     How you can help
     Donations
     Volunteer
     Fundraising
Support
Newly Diagnosed
Rehabilitation
Ask the Experts
Medical
Daily Living
Education
Sports
Finances
For Parents
For Teens
For Kids
Site Index
Contact CHASA

history

The Children's Hemiplegia and Stroke Association, CHASA, is the first organization in the United States dedicated to improving the lives of children and families affected by pediatric stroke and other causes of hemiplegia, hemiparesis, or hemiplegic cerebral palsy. CHASA is a 501(3)(3) organization and serves families around the world with information, support, and advocacy. Read more about the history of CHASA below.

July 2000 - Awarded $1900 in scholarships to children with hemiplegia

Fall 2000 - Name change to Children's Hemiplegia and Stroke Association, CHASA. Name reflects respect for "people first" language

Winter 2000 - Anonymous grant to CHASA in the amount of $5000

Winter 2000 - Dr. John Lynch, pediatric stroke researcher at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, joins CHASA as a medical advisor

Spring 2001 - Launched "Helping Hands" newsletter to reach parents without internet access; Editor: Andrea Fuentes; Printing donated by Henry Serrano of VistaColor, Inc.

May 2001 - Second Annual CHASA Walk-a-thon

July 2001 - Awarded $4600 in family scholarships

July 2001 - Second Annual Family Retreat and Conference; Added speakers, including physicians and therapists

August 2001 - Donation given to CHASA to cover newsletter costs in the amount of $10,000

October 2001 - E-mail family discussion list reached 600 members

Fall 2001 - Second issue of the "Helping Hands" newsletter mailed out.

December 2001 - E-mail family discussion list reached 642 members

May 4, 2002 - National Childhood Stroke Awareness Day proclaimed in 20 states. A grassroots effort created by our families and friends interested in raising awareness.

May 2002 - Third Annual CHASA Walk-a-thon

June 2002 - Florida Family Fun Day organized by Andrew Horowitz and family.

July 2002 - Third Annual retreat with 75 families in Hershey, PA. Scholarships awarded to 13 families in need.

July 2002 - Two College Scholarships awarded to students who have hemiplegia.

Fall 2002 - Third issue of the "Helping Hands" newsletter

November 2002 - E-mail family discussion list reached 750 members

December 2002 - Online eNewsletter launched, courtesy of Andrew Sherwin of Sentient Inc.

May 3, 2003 - National Childhood Stroke Awareness Day, with proclamations in a number of states.

May 2003 - Fourth Annual CHASA Walk-a-thon

July 2003 - Fourth Annual retreat with forty families in Arlington, TX.

October 2003 - Special Support Group gathering in Boston

January 2004 - E-mail family discussion group reaches 826 members

May 1, 2004 - National Childhood Stroke Awareness Day, with proclamations in a number of states. Family Fun Days held in several states.

May 2004 - Fifth Annual CHASA Walk-a-thon

May 2, 2004 - North Texas Family Fun Day organized by Heidi Leedy and Nancy Atwood.

June 2004 - Fall 2004 Awarded $1500 in CHASA College Scholarships. Recipients are Derek A. of MO, Brandon A. of MD, and Bridget W. of CA. Congratulations to these hard working young people. We wish them a successful year!

June 2004 - Dawn Perkins designs and makes purple and gold Childhood Stroke Awareness ribbon lapel pins to increase awareness

July 2004 - Fifty-eight families of children who have hemiplegia met in Wisconsin for the 5th CHASA Retreat and Medical Conference.

September 2004 - E-mail family discussion group reaches 900 members

October 2004 - North Texas Family Fun Day

October 2004 - Assisted a student at the Florida State University School of Nursing with a childhood stroke awareness program for middle and high school students. Donated Kids Have Strokes ribbons, made by Dawn Perkins.

November 2004 - Kids Have Strokes website designed to increase awareness of strokes in children and infants

December 2004 - CHASA website splits into three websites to help create more user friendly websites for families. www.chasa.org www.hemikids.org and www.pediatricstroke.org

January 2005 - CHASA declares May 7, 2005 Childhood Stroke Awareness Day

January 2005 - CHASA board announces locations for 2005 and 2006 family retreats

January 2005 - Maryland/Pennsylvania Family Fun Weekend organized by Mary Ellen and Sue

February 2005 - Teamed with the Alexandra Beale Foundation to work on 2005 Childhood Stroke Awareness campaign

March 2005 - Participant in University of Kansas project to study paralysis data collection (funded by the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation)

May 2005 - National Childhood Stroke Awareness, with proclamations in a number of states. Mini-thons and fundraisers held across the nation.

Spring 2005 - Sponsor Kids Have Strokes awareness wristbands

July 2005 - Annual CHASA family retreat held in St Simons Island, Georgia.

July 2005 - CHASA awards $2930 Retreat Scholarships to families attending the Georgia retreat.

July 2005 - Awarded $3000 in CHASA Scholarships. A total of $3,000 has been offered to eight college students, three technical school students, and one Paralympic athlete. Approximately 50 students applied for scholarships this year. Scholarship recipients live in VA, MN (2), IA, IN, SC, WI, WA, CO, MN, FL, and IL. Congratulations to these hard working young people. We wish these students a successful year!

March 2006 Deadline for CHASA Secondary Education Scholarships

February 2006 Transfer Childhood Stroke Awareness Program to volunteer Dawn Perkins of Boston

Spring 2006 Sponsor KidsHaveStrokes.org new design for wristbands

July 2006 - Annual CHASA family retreat held in Estes Park, Colorado

October 2006 - Awarded $2400 in CHASA College Scholarships to two young adults with hemiplegia.

November 2006 Provided Honorariums for Professional Speaker Program. Funded six speakers in Pennsylvania.

January 2007 E-mail family discussion group reaches over 1000 members

May 2007 Creation of the Megan Chesney Scholarship Fund

Summer 2007 Facilitated a number of family gatherings across the nation

November 2007 E-mail family discussion group reaches 1170 members

November 2007 Awarded $7,000 Megan Chesney Scholarship Fund scholarships to young adults with hemiplegia

March 2008 E-mail family discussion group reaches1260 families

April 2008 - Launched Kids Have Strokes site on Cafe Press to provide pediatric stroke awareness products

May 3, 2008 Sponsored Childhood Stroke Awareness Day

May 4, 2008 Sponsored Hemi-Kids Philadelphia Area Picnic and Fun Day for 49

June 19, 2008 Sponsored Hemi-Kids Meeting in Grand Mound, WA for 41

July 12, 2008 Sponsored Hemi-Kids Rockford, IL Pizza Party for 44

July 19, 2008 Sponsored Hemi-Kids North Texas Area BBQ for 55

September 2008 E-mail family discussion group reaches 1415 families

September 2008 Launched Childhood Stroke Awareness on Firstgiving website to honor children with hemiplegia or stroke

September 2008 Sent board member/physician to American Heart Association's Health Care Reform Issues for Individuals with Congenital Heart Disease in Washington, DC

October 2009: Assisted professional in writing article designed to educate nurses about infant and childhood stroke

November 2008 - Awarded $8,000 Megan Chesney Scholarship Fund college and trade school scholarships to young adults with hemiplegia

November 2008: CHASA locates physician speaker on pediatric stroke topic for 1st Annual Southeast Regional Stroke Conference

December 2008 Awareness Project: Childhood Stroke Awareness Christmas Ornaments

December 2008 Awareness Project: Childhood Stroke Awareness Gift Card Tags

January 2009 Developed Infant and Childhood Stroke Informational Brochure directed at physicians. These feature infant and childhood stroke survivors and include information on early stroke and the need for early detection, intervention and referral, and research.

January 2009 Developed Infant and Childhood Stroke Tabletop Display for use at Medical Conferences and other public awareness events

January 2009 Assisted pediatric stroke researcher in applying for grant for pediatric hemiplegia research study

January 2009 Launched new Bulletin Board Forum to facilitate development of local state and international groups, provide avenue for discussions about projects, and a place for parents to socialize outside of discussions of hemiplegia on the listserv.

January 2009 Launched Young Adults with Hemiplegia Forum

January 2009 Mentored a parent interested in forming a new nonprofit pediatric stroke awareness group

January 2009 Sent two representatives to the 1st Annual Southeast Regional Stroke Conference to network and set up a two day Exhibit to feature infant and childhood stroke survivor awareness including information on early stroke and need for early detection, intervention and referral, and research. Audience included physicians, nurses, social workers, physical, occupational, and speech therapists and others who treat stroke.

January 2009 Location of 2009 8th Annual CHASA Family Retreat announced

January 2009 E-mail family discussion group reaches 1488 members

March 2009 Childhood Stroke Fact Sheet presented at University of Minnesota Medical Center Nursing Skills Fair

May 2009 CHASA receives grant from Bahl Foundation

July 2009 Collaborate with Department of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy at the University of Southern California to recruit participants for the "Child Habilitation and Motor Performance Skills Clinical Research Trial" for children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy.

July 2009 CHASA provides $7600 in retreat scholarships to families of children who have hemiplegia

July 2009 8th CHASA Family Retreat - 198 attend

July 2009 E-mail family discussion group reaches 1584 members

August 2009 CHASA announces a series of awareness and fundraising efforts to take place throughout the month of May 2010, as members celebrate Childhood Stroke Awareness Month

Sept 2009 Collaborate with the Division of Physical Therapy at Ohio State University to recruit participants for the Training in Infants with Neonatal Stroke Project

Nov 2009 Collaborate with Department of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy at the University of Southern California to recruit participants for the "Study of Reaching and Grasping Patterns in Children With and Without Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy"

Nov 2009 Awarded $9,500 Megan Chesney Scholarship Fund college and trade school scholarships to young adults with hemiplegia

Jan 2010 Announced location for 2010 CHASA Family Retreat, June 27-July 1, Florence, Alabama

Jan 2010 Assisted a global contract research organization in locating pediatric stroke clinics for possible clinical trial sites

July 2000 - First Hemi-Kids Family Retreat

May 2000 - First major fundraiser event, Hemi-Kids Walk-a-thon

March 2000 - IRS granted tax-exemption status to the Hemi-Kids Foundation. The foundation is officially a 501 (c)(3) organization.
February 2000 - A new record high for membership in the Hemi-Kids parent email list. 353 parents are finding support and information on the list.

January 2000 - Hemi-Kids Foundation is currently waiting for tax-exemption status to be granted by the IRS.

August 1999 - Hemi-Kids reached an all time high list membership of 270 members

July 1999 - Local chapters of Hemi-Kids formed to provide "in person" support for families.

July 1999 - Articles of Incorporation filed in the State of Texas for Hemi-Kids Foundation

May 1999 - Added question and answer forums to the Hemi-Kids website.

August 1997 - Hemi-Kids e-mail discussion group found a permanent home at St. John's University, New York. List grew to 35 members. Website renamed "Hemi-Kids"

The information contained in this Children's Hemiplegia and Stroke Association (CHASA) Web site is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment, and CHASA recommends consultation with your doctor or health care professional.