Clovis family seeks help funding therapy for boy with cerebral palsy

Roma’s worsening back and leg problems put his mobility on the line unless his family can pay for intensive therapy in Los Angeles, a course of treatment that could run as high as $30,000. His mother, Yana, said the 8-year-old needs more care than insurance will cover, and she is trying to keep him moving while also raising three children on her own.

Yana came to the United States from Russia after the war between Russia and Ukraine forced the family to leave their hometown for safety. Roma lives with cerebral palsy, a condition that affects movement, balance and posture, and his mother has been juggling his care with school and everyday needs. The family’s urgency is tied to a simple fear: if therapy lapses now, Roma could lose more of the mobility he has left.

Doctors recommended two to three intensive therapy sessions at NAPA Center in Los Angeles, but the family said insurance covers only one session a month, not enough for Roma’s diagnosis. NAPA Center’s intensive model combines occupational, physical and speech therapy in a three-week block, often totaling 60 to 90 hours of treatment. Its published 2026 fee schedule says specialty services can add cost and that insurance verification is only an estimate, not a guarantee of payment.

Roma’s family said the first session needs to begin as soon as possible because time matters for preserving movement. On its GoFundMe fundraiser, the family said doctors want the intensive work started quickly. That push for speed reflects what medical experts have long emphasized: cerebral palsy is the most common motor disability in childhood, and early diagnosis and treatment matter. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the condition affects movement, balance and posture, and it estimates about 1 in 345 U.S. children have been identified with cerebral palsy.

In Clovis, the family has not been facing the burden alone. Roma’s older brother helps take him to school, and his older sister teaches him piano. The Cedarwood Elementary community has also stepped in around the family, linking this private medical struggle to a wider network of neighbors and school families. Cedarwood Elementary is at 2851 Palo Alto Avenue, and Clovis Unified School District’s nondiscrimination policy includes disability and immigration status.

Roma, his mother said, loves music, is learning Arabic and dreams of climbing Mount Everest someday. For now, the climb is more immediate: keeping him in therapy long enough to protect the strength he still has and give him a better chance to keep moving forward.