Facing life one brave step at a time

NATASHA Garrity is determined to find a cure for cerebral palsy - and she's working towards it one step at a time.

Natasha Garrity

NATASHA Garrity is determined to find a cure for cerebral palsy - and she's working towards it one step at a time.

The 13-year-old from Killarney Heights was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when she was 12 months old.

Now a Year 7 student at Killarney Heights High School, she is the youngest ambassador for the Cerebral Palsy Alliance, which has launched "Steptember" to raise awareness and funds for services and research about the disability - which affects about 33,000 Australians.

As part of Steptember, teams of four register and are sent a kit which includes pedometers to track the number of steps they make each day.

Various sporting activities can also be converted into virtual steps and people work to meet exercise and fundraising targets online, which they can compare with competitors in the US and Canada.

Natasha's mother Fiona Garrity said life was harder for her daughter but she was always positive and hoped one day to be a scientist.

"She will be the first one to say that she doesn't know any different. Life is harder - but she's a very resilient, determined, tenacious little girl," Mrs Garrity said.

Natasha's speech is slightly affected and her legs and arms are not fully functional.

Cerebral Palsy Alliance CEO Rob White said they hoped Steptember would raise $800,000 this year, with the money going into resources and research in which Australia leads the world.

HELP RAISE MONEY - REGISTER AT STEPTEMBER.ORG.AU