Our sweet little Kolby was born with a clubfoot. Clubfoot is a congenital deformity of the foot, where the foot is twisted inward and downward.This condition is found in only about 1 out of 1000 births, and was most likely caused due to position in my uterus,in his case.
Kolby is being treated currently with a series of casts that are changed weekly to aid in moving his foot by degrees into the proper position. He is currently on his second cast, and due to have his third applied Friday morning. We make weekly trips to the local children’s hospital to have this done. The hope is, that if his casting is successful, we will be able to avoid subjecting him to something much more invasive like surgery.
It is still very difficult however,for me as a mother, to watch him being made uncomfortable for the removal and application of casts. It is my natural inclination to protect all of my children from any kind of pain, so it is hard, even when I know what is being done is an effort to help him. There is nothing quite like watching someone twist your newborn’s foot, or like watching someone saw a cast off of your tiny two-week old! Prayers for Kolby and a mother’s heart would be so appreciated!
I have done a lot of research about clubfoot thus far, and I will continue to do so during this journey. However, if you are reading this, and have any knowledge or experience in this regard please contact me either here in comments or via e-mail! I am always looking for more input and ideas to take care of my son the best way that I can. Thank you!
Lord, I ask that this procedure will completely readjust Kolby’s foot so it is fully functional. Give your peace and patience to his family as they watch him go through this painful and scary time. Amen.
~Luke
Luke,
Thank you so much for your prayer. It has blessed me already!
Dear “mommy”
My sister-in-law has a son who was born with club foot, and had cast procedures done, and he played sports and even was accepted into the U.S. military. What used to be a pitiful life-long abnormality should be only a delay for your son. he should catch up fine. Children are very resilient, and he will likely not even notice he is different, if you accept it gracefully. Perhaps God will use this to produce a heart of deep compassion for others as he grows up.
Congratulations on your precious addition! I have a daughter with clubfeet and I always smile when I discover another special one. In the post you did not mention whether Kolby is being treated with the Ponseti method so I thought I’d mention that. If so, he’d only require 4 – 6 casts generally and then he’ll spend some time in an FAB full time before being slowly reduced to nights and naps by the time he’s walking. Surgery is generally NOT necessary beyond a tenotomy which is just a small nick before the last cast is applied for three weeks. If you haven’t done so already, I encourage you to join the nosurgery4clubfoot group on yahoo where you’ll find lots of good information on helping Kolby as well as info for you. Meanwhile, we’ll be praying for you!
Vesta, Thank you for your encouraging words!
Hi Chris,
Thank you so much! This is exactly the kind of information ideas that I am looking for. I am researching the Ponseti Method and have even consulted with Dr. Ponseti himself via e-mail. Currently we are just doing serial casting, but I am on the fence about it with a probable surgery looming ahead of us.
We truly appreciate your prayers as well!
It is best to have this treated young like you are doing. I have a badly crooked toe. When I was 6 I was told to wait until I was 16 to have it treated. When I was 16 they refused and said I should have had it done when I was 6. Young bone is very pliable so it should straighten out. We’ll pray for you all.
Hi- Congratulations on your new son! My oldest (out of seven), Josiah, now 17, had a clubfoot when he was born. It was severe and his foot was completely turned towards the inside of his leg. We did the cast thing every week for three months ( I had to soak it and cut it off before we went to the pediatric ortho dr. [Dr Richard Pierce in Chattanooga, TN] every week-traumatic for me and my son!) and then the dr. would replace it with a new cast. When the Dr decided that it wasn’t going to work, he had surgery at 5 months old. It was such a focus when he was little, but now it is never an issue. My son has always had a great personality and we just didn’t make a big deal about it. His calf and foot are smaller on that side, but it has never held him back. He played sports when he was younger. He works hard on everything and never complains about it. When he was 5, I took him to the local orthopedic dr. just to make sure everything was fine and he said that everything looked great. I have asked Josiah over the years if it bothers him and he says no. I just wanted to encourage you to enjoy him and know that this won’t last forever and years down the road, it will be a distant memory. I will pray for you and your sweet son.
Dear Jenni,
I didn’t realize you were dealing with this but I wondered why you were making trips to St. Louis. Maybe this is why…
I will be praying your precious little Kolby’s foot will heal and he will suffer no lasting effects from the casting. I’m asking God to heal him easily with the casts and that surgery will not be required. I will be lifting you up as you take him for his appointments. It must be SO hard to see him going through this. A mother’s heart wants that our children should never know pain or suffering.
You all are in my heart, thoughts and prayers.
*Hugs*
What a little dream baby. You know my older brother was born with club foot over 50 years ago. At that time even though I don’t remember because I came along several years later my parents would take him across the river from Ohio to Kentucky to Shriners Hospital. My parents always talked about how wonderful they were for children there.
You have a beautiful family.