In this master’s thesis, the author examines the experience of motherhood in mothers of children with cerebral palsy. The thesis first introduces the characteristics and information regarding the disease itself, which helps form a better understanding of cerebral palsy. In the continuation, the author touches upon the changes in the family structure brought upon by the child’s diagnosis. Furthermore, it researches the quality of life of children with cerebral palsy and the quality of life of mothers, who in the majority of cases take over the entire care. This is followed by the introduction of the emotional processes and experiences in acceptance, facing the public, and above all, feelings of shame and guilt, which mothers experience when having a child with cerebral palsy.
In the empirical part of the thesis, the author researches the experience of motherhood in mothers with children with cerebral palsy. The author uses the phenomenological method. Semi-structured interviews conducted with five mothers of children with cerebral palsy helped with the data acquisition. The research shows that mothers have negative emotions upon the birth of a child with cerebral palsy. In addition to requiring the time to accept the diagnosis, they also experience feelings of shame and guilt. The guilt over a child’s condition is more prevalent than distress and shame in the eyes of the public. The results of the master’s thesis can be beneficial to all mothers overcoming negative emotional processes at the birth of a child with cerebral palsy. What is more, it can be helpful to the expert community, enabling the development of appropriate forms of support and assistance to mothers of the children in question.
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