FightTheStroke Foundation, 2025: stories, results, and the future of young people with Cerebral Palsy

After 11 years of pursuing the Foundation’s mission, we reflect together on the goals achieved in 2025 and the new challenges for 2026.

ALT TEXT: the photo shows Mario D’Angelo, Honorary President of Fightthestroke Foundation, wearing a white Fight Camp t-shirt, smiling and holding his right hand open with five fingers – photo taken by Geoff Lowe during the 2025 edition of Fight Camp in Milan

KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF 2025:

The past year has been important for anyone working in Cerebral Palsy, mainly due to the following events:

Scientific research and drugs: among the projects we were involved in, the trial on Valbenazine for dyskinetic cerebral palsy concluded, showing the drug to be safe but not effective in reducing involuntary movements (https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/neurocrine-biosciences-provides-update-on-phase-3-study-of-valbenazine-in-dyskinetic-cerebral-palsy-302648241.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com). In Italy, a phase 2 trial of the drug Cenegermin was announced, involving intranasal administration of rhNGF (nerve growth factor) to children with Cerebral Palsy: the study involves 10 centers in Italy, with administration expected to officially begin in 2026. Results of recent stem cell studies were also announced, particularly noteworthy those from Dutch and Australian teams in the European Premstem project (update here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ierbHKph_mw&list=PLIMgJO3GaHXhNa0HN8xsPSKg77fKdkOfs&index=4).
Technology and design: major updates concern robot-assisted rehabilitation, electrical stimulation, sensors, exoskeletons, development of AI algorithms for early diagnosis and movement assessment in infants at risk of Cerebral Palsy. We discussed this here and here.
Paralympic sports: among athletes who participated in major global events (World Para Athletics Championships 2025 in New Delhi and World Para Swimming in Singapore), few athletes with CP classifications achieved medals or records. Several CP Football (7-a-side) matches of the Italian national team took place, along with participation of the Fightthestroke junior team at the CP Football Festival in Oslo. In 2025 we mourned the passing of coach Renzo Vergnani, who invested greatly with us in developing CP football in Italy.
Dissemination and recognition: World Cerebral Palsy Day 2025 was celebrated on October 6, with the award-winning global awareness campaign “More Than Palsy.” The Elsass Award 2025 was granted to Prof. Andrea Guzzetta (Stella Maris, Pisa, interviewed here) for studies on early diagnosis and neuroplasticity in infants with CP; while Prof. Giuseppina Sgandurra and Dr. Giovanni Arras were appointed Knights of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic for innovations in rehabilitation and co-design with families.
Regulatory/institutional updates: the European Accessibility Act (EAA) came into force in Italy in 2025, establishing that key products and services (such as smartphones, computers, banking terminals, transport, communication and IT services) must be accessible to people with disabilities; it also sets common EU standards to promote digital and physical accessibility, and specific requirements such as text-to-speech, readable font sizes, accessible transport information, simplified payment interactions and telecommunications. The Italian disability reform (linked to enabling law 227/2021 and implemented by Legislative Decree 62/2024) entered an experimental phase during 2025, revising the definition of “person with disability” in line with the UN Convention; implementing an integrated evaluation system based on a basic and a multidimensional assessment to better understand individual real-life needs; defining an individualized life project integrating social, health, educational and employment aspects. In 2025 the interministerial technical working group on family caregivers concluded its work, preparing a draft bill recognizing the role and rights of caregivers, especially cohabiting and primary caregivers, and providing economic and social protections. During 2025, Fightthestroke Foundation further expanded its European and international collaborations, particularly with CP-ECA in Europe and ICPS globally.

Key results with CP-ECA:

Democratic participation was strengthened through the European project CERV – Citizen Vote4All.eu: the project focused on enhancing democratic participation of people with cerebral palsy and complex disabilities, where legal, physical and attitudinal barriers still limit equality of citizenship across Europe. Coordinated by Cerebral Palsy Europe, the consortium included Fight the Stroke Foundation (Italy), Zveza Sonček (Slovenia), APPC (Portugal), FAPPC (Portugal), and CP Nederland (Netherlands). Activities included five transnational in-person study visits (Milan, Ljubljana, Lisbon and Porto, The Hague, Brussels), complemented by online webinars. A total of 460 participants were involved. Exchanges with EU Parliament members, European Commission officials, electoral bodies, ministries, municipalities and other institutions created concrete opportunities to address barriers to voting, political representation and civic engagement. The project also fostered a strong sense of European community.
Disability rights were promoted through the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD): Cerebral Palsy Europe contributed to the EU review by submitting an alternative report and participating in hearings in Geneva.
Contributions to EU health policy continued despite lack of operating grants in 2025 under EU4Health; participation included the Global Health Policy Forum in Brussels and multiple workshops.
Leadership roles within the European Disability Forum (EDF) were maintained, including the election of Rui Coimbras to the EDF Board.
Participation in the European Day of Persons with Disabilities (EDPD 2025).
Launch of a new website: www.cerebralpalsyeurope.org and contribution to the “More Than Palsy” campaign.

Key results with ICPS:

Strong global advocacy presence across WHO, UN, Global Disability Summit (Berlin), Zero Project Conference (Vienna), and others. First-ever CP side event at the World Health Assembly.
Strengthening of networks through in-person meetings (IAACD Congress in Heidelberg) and webinars.
Launch of the impactful “More Than Palsy” campaign.
Major advocacy achievements, including inclusion of Baclofen in WHO Essential Medicines List.
Contributions to WHO Assistive Technology Roadmap and global disability policy.
Work on early identification (CP360), adult CP, and communication strategies.

Despite challenging geopolitical and economic conditions, in 2025 we benefited from a fundraising campaign promoted by Fondazione Mediolanum supporting neurodevelopmental rehabilitation, enabling us to plan future initiatives.

We strengthened our ambassador network and expert sounding board, increased access to European funding, and maintained a full calendar of sport-rehabilitation initiatives including Fight Camp (9th and 10th editions).

We continued scientific research (AINCP project), innovation projects (MirrorHR, MirrorBuddy), and international collaborations. The MirrorHR app surpassed 10,000 downloads across 96 countries, enabling real-world AI-based detection of nocturnal epileptic seizures.

We advanced knowledge in Nutrition, Sport, and Disability through research with ICANS – University of Milan, demonstrating benefits of personalized diet and supplementation.

We contributed to multiple scientific publications, supported accessible gaming initiatives (as the Playable project, together with Fondazione Asphi and Bosch) and expanded training on DEIB topics, both in enterprises and schools.

METRICS AND ACTIVITIES IN 2025:

Our blog content positions us as a mature third-sector actor, addressing beneficiary needs with high-quality information. Key highlights include:

Surveys on most searched CP topics
Sports calendar communication
Vote4All project promotion
Nutrition initiatives with Nestlé HS
Inclusive design recognition
Arts and social inclusion projects
Fundraising campaigns
Robotics in rehabilitation
AI and health literacy initiatives
Fight Camp events (Oslo and Milan)
International campaign “More Than Palsy”

We participated in over 70 events, received multiple recognitions (including Officine UNICEF and Politecnico di Milano awards), and contributed to global discussions on disability.

The “More Than Palsy” campaign reached an estimated 12–20 million people globally, with up to 35 million impressions, winning the Grand Prix Non Profit – ADCI Awards 2025 and a Bronze at European ADCE Awards 2025.

FUNDRAISING AND DIGITAL PERFORMANCE:

5x1000: €42,527 collected
Website traffic increased significantly (49,177 visits, +32%)
Global reach across 96 countries
634 information requests on the website (+30%)
Social media growth continued across all platforms (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc.), with YouTube reaching 176,651 views.

OBJECTIVES 2026:

Key priorities include:

Advancing research (Cenegermin trial, AINCP, CC4C, VibraKids, Voice4All)
Developing Child-health Tech/AI tools (MirrorHR, MirrorBuddy)
Expanding Fight Camp model and adapted sports literacy
Strengthening communication campaigns
Exploring long-term initiatives (collective fund, employment, robotics)

After eleven years of continuous work, we feel the weight of physical and mental fatigue, but also deep satisfaction for what has been achieved. Our gaze is now set on 2029, when Mario will turn 18yo, marking a key milestone to assess the impact of our journey with over 1,500 people with Cerebral Palsy in Italy and with alliances across 60 countries worldwide.

We will continue learning, building alliances, and supporting families when they need it most.

Thank you to those who will continue walking this path with us—and to those who will carry our mission forward.

Milan, March 2026

*This is a shorter version of the Italian 2025 report published here