Betsy Guilbaud raises cerebral palsy awareness for Steptember 2026

At birth, she got stuck and when she was born, Betsy wasn’t breathing, causing “cerebral palsy”. actu.fr reported that 33-year-old Betsy Guilbaud has spent her life managing cerebral palsy following an oxygen-deprivation incident at birth in Les Sorinières. Now serving as a coach for STEPtember, an active-mobility event organized by the Fondation Paralysie Cérébrale running from September 14 to September 30, 2026, Guilbaud recently engaged her childhood school, Sainte-Marie aux Sorinières, to raise awareness about the condition.

Childhood Care and Medical Silence at Les Sorinières

According to actu.fr, Guilbaud experienced an obstructed delivery at birth that required resuscitation, incubator placement, and respiratory support, causing brain lesions due to oxygen starvation. Her parents were initially informed that she was viable but in an unknown condition. By age three, falling difficulties prompted a pediatrician visit, leading to a diagnosis under the historical term cerebral palsy as cerebral palsy was not yet a recognized term during the 1990s. She spent school holidays receiving functional rehabilitation at a facility in Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie while attending Sainte-Marie aux Sorinières. Guilbaud noted to actu.fr that she never received a direct medical explanation about her prognosis, only discovering the term cerebral palsy as an adult upon reviewing her medical file.

Loss of Mobility and Adult Rehabilitation Gaps

actu.fr reported that upon reaching adulthood, Guilbaud was not transitioned to an adult medical department and was told she could live normally, causing her to stop rehabilitation and sports. Within four years, she began losing walking mobility, eventually requiring her first wheelchair around age 26 or 27.

Guilbaud Mobilizes Participants for STEPtember 2026

actu.fr reported that Guilbaud mobilizes participants each September for STEPtember, a connected application event run by the Fondation Paralysie Cérébrale from September 14 to September 30, 2026.