Club Feet

Today we took Ben to get casted for his feet. I thought it would just be a consultation appointment but they went ahead and did the casts right then. We went to Shriners hospital. First of all, let me just say how amazing that place is. It is a children’s hospital in the avenues that is run by the Shriners (a tier of the masons). There are other Shriner’s hospital similar to this one throughout the US but this one serves all different parts of the west- Colorado, Wyoming, Utah etc. They deal mostly with orthopedics- joints, bones and muscles. And they are 100% free. We do not pay a DIME, nor does anyone who goes there. Haylee (my youngest sister who was born without an arm) actually went there when she was little. I remember my mom used to take her up to SL once a week to go to Shriner’s. She was fitted with prosthetic limbs and she got a new one every time she grew out of the old (and those things are PRICEY), She received physical and occupational therapy and one-on-one care. And now being a beneficiary of Shriners hospital myself I am even more amazed at what they do there. The doctors were INCREDIBLE. They were so caring and walked us through the whole process. It was so touching. While we were there we saw children with many other different disabilities, some were in wheelchairs, some had club feet like Ben. I guess every Tues morning they have “club feet clinic” and that’s when they work with children like Ben with club feet. They said right now they are seeing 12 children. Some are from Utah but most are from other states. If we were living in another state Shriners helps with transportation and accomodations, they are seriously amazing. But we live 10 minutes away- what a blessing. What an absolute blessing. I was sort of overwhelmed with emotion as I was there- overwhelmed with the needs of some very sweet children, including my own, and then just amazed at the generosity and kindness of others- the Shriners who contribute and make it possible to run this entire hospital- it is overwhelming to me and so completely touching.

We sat with a doctor who answered all of our questions. No one knows what causes club feet. This renowned doctor, Doctor Ponseti, who the doctors at Shriners have trained under thinks it’s something with myosin- a part of the muscle-that has sort of malfunctioned in the leg and foot. Some people have said positioning in the womb but this doctor really thinks it’s something more genetic with mysoin. Anyway, they really aren’t sure. But it’s about 1/1000 kids who are born with club feet and most all of the cases are totally correctable.

So the process- First: casting for 5-20 weeks- which means that every Tuesday we will go in and they will take off Ben’s casts and we will be able to bathe him and then they will put new ones on. Each cast moves his feet just a little bit more (sort of like braces) until they are in a good position. Step #2. Possible cut of the Achilles tendon. This happens in about 90% of the cases in club feet. That tendon is too tight which is part of what pulls the feet inward so they cut the tendon which grows back lengthened (like a salamanders tail). Finally step #3- braces. After the casting and cut of the tendon, Ben will most likely wear braces on his feet 24 hours a day for about 2 or 3 months. Then he will cut back to wearing the brace only during naps and at night. Ideally this is done until age 4 but the doctor said most kids make it to about 2 or 2 ½ . There is chance of recurrence in which kids go back to wearing the braces or casting if necessary but after age 7 the chance of recurrance is very very small. So it’s treatable completely and Ben will probably be totally fine in the long run. But getting those casts on today was so sad to me. I held him as they put the casts on and he cried. They go up his entire leg and he’s so uncomfortable. I imagine it hurts too to have them put his foot in a position he’s not used to being in. Plus he loved having his legs curled up by his body and now they are stuck in two heavy casts that he can not move at all. He has cried and cried today, this cry of pain and it has broken my heart.

It’s interesting what life teaches you though. This experience is so minor in comparison to what so many children and parents experience. And I am only getting a taste of the feelings these parents experience as they watch their children in pain or as they see other people stare at their children- a reminder that indeed their child is different. But my heart has been softened today and I have felt compelled to count my blessings, the way God helps us in our lives, and the goodness of other people. We hear so much in the world today of what is going wrong- especially right now with all our politics, economics, foreign policies…but today I was the benefactor of some incredibly generous people I do not even know who will help my son heal his feet. Today I saw children who suffer and parents whose hearts break to watch them suffer but who keep going cheerfully. Today I watched my son cry in pain because his legs hurt but I could only be grateful that we have the medicine and technology to fix what his body did not give him and that he will be able to run someday. Today I was touched by my two year old's look of concern when he saw his week old little brother in casts “Ben have an owie mommy?” Today I felt the sweet spirit of an infant as he cried and then fell peacefully asleep on my chest. Today amidst pain and need I saw the hand of God.