Shoes for Josh

Every year around 11 000 babies are born with Clubfoot in South Africa, and this year, Joshua was one of them.

Joshua was born with Bilateral Clubbed Foot. This is a condition in which a newborn's foot (or feet) appear to be rotated internally at the ankle. The foot points down and inwards, and the soles of the feet face each other.

Our medical aid funds have depleted and we need help getting Joshua his special shoes (Clubfoot Brace) and to be able to attend follow up appointments until the new cycle is activated on our medical aid (July 2020).

We have decided to go with the more modern and approved method of correcting Joshua's feet, The Ponseti Method.

The Ponseti Method is done in two phases:
1. The casting (or correction) phase, which gradually moves the foot into the corrected position
2. The bracing (or maintenance) phase, which makes sure the foot stays in the corrected position.
Sometimes a third phase is implemented and this comes between the casting and bracing phases - the phase requires a small surgery called a Tenotomy. This is a small cutting of the tendon, which allows the foot to move up and down.

We have almost successfully completed the casting phase. Josh's tenotomy surgery is scheduled for 4th October, after which he will get his final cast. We then have to move in the bracing phase immediately to avoid relapse.

What is the Clubfoot Brace (Boots and Bars) that Joshua needs?
A Clubfoot Brace has two parts: a bar (usually metal) and special shoes (boots) that attached at each end of the bar. The bar is the same length as the distance between the baby's shoulders. The bar slides or clicks into the bottom of the boots.
The brace keeps the corrected feet in the corrected position so it doesn't twist back to where it was before the casting phase.
The bracing phase will last between 2 and 5 years. The child will wear it for 23 hours a day until he can walk, and then for 12 hours a day (naps and sleep time) until he is 4/5 years of age.

These shoes are very important for Joshua as a child's feet grow a lot and very quickly in the first years of life. Without the brace to keep Josh's corrected clubfoot in the proper place, that rapid growth would send the foot back into the clubfoot position.

Please help us raise the necessary funds in order to get the Boots and Bars for Joshua and to be able to attend follow up appointments to either adjust or replace the boots.

If you cannot contribute, we fully understand, but can you please share this to everyone you know - maybe one of your friends or family can support.

THANK YOU to everyone!