After a year of therapy with dolphins at the Sea World theme park in Xiaomeisha in Yantian District, the condition of a young girl with cerebral palsy has shown a marked improvement, the Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported Monday.

Over the past three years, more than 80 children with cerebral palsy and autism throughout China have joined the recovery program, a therapy interacting with dolphins, at the Sea World theme park, and most of them have improved significantly.

The girl, Cong Cong, 13, received dolphin therapy in 2001. One year later, she had fewer uncontrolled movements and was able to communicate better.

Cong Cong became more aware and sensitive to her surroundings, and can now control both arms. She is now also able to negotiate staircases more quickly and safely, which was previously impossible for her. She is even able to articulate words such as "grandma" and "auntie."

Dong Yan, a dolphin trainer at the theme park, oversees the therapy without charging patients. Dong has been nominated for the title of "excellent migrant worker."

Cong Cong was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when she was 7 months old. She was like a baby at the age of 10 and had little control over her movements.

Her parents sought help from many hospitals in and outside China but to no avail. When they learned from foreign journals that dolphins could help improve the conditions of children with cerebral palsy, they went to Sea World and related the story of their daughter and asked to have her befriend the dolphins in the park.

The park accepted the parents' request and had its dolphin trainer, Dong, spend regular time with Cong Cong together with the dolphins. The girl soon became accustomed to the marine mammals. She and the dolphins developed a mutual liking.

Shenzhen is the first city in the country to have dolphins engaged in therapy for a child with cerebral palsy. According to experts, a dolphin's high-frequency ultrasonic sounds close to the head of a patient can help stimulate dormant brain cells and improve the patient's condition.

(Shenzhen Daily December 21, 2004)