Let Nikodem walk and run like other children!

A year ago, at 40 years old,  I didn’t even expect to become a mom for the first time. I also didn’t know that I would ask you for help. 

In that rough year of 2021, when my doctor informed me that I was pregnant, it came as a total surprise to me. The initial shock changed into joy, and I waited for Nikodem to be born. Unfortunately, during the examination, I found out there was something wrong with his little foot.

The ultrasound showed that Nikodem might have talipes equinovarus (Clubfoot). 

My whole world stopped. 

I asked the doctors what it was, why it happened, was it dangerous, and how could it be fixed?

I had a lot of questions, and the answers came with time. However, there still was hope that my son was healthy. It wasn’t until he was born that the worst scenario came true. The doctor confirmed his earlier suspicions and offered terrifying news: left syndromic clubfoot with four toes, absence of the fifth radius, stiff-soft type, possible fibular deficiency.

The life of my son is rough from the very beginning. His little foot is deformed, and his fibula might not develop. It is yet another problem he is facing. You do not need to be a doctor to realise how will these defects affect his childhood and adulthood. He will experience physical pain, movement difficulties, social exclusion, and psychological issues. There is nothing we can do about the lack of the toe and the shorter limb, and the fibular deficiency has to be monitored and fixed if necessary. All we can do and need to do is take care of his left foot. 

The light at the end of the tunnel is the Ponseti method, which is the most effective, non-invasive treatment for clubfoot. We have an opportunity to go to the clinic in Vienna and see Dr Radler, who has been successfully treating patients for 20 years using the Ponseti method. The therapy is divided into 3 stages. 

First, once a week for 5 to 8 weeks, the doctor will gently manipulate the deformed foot, correct its position, put it in the cast, and recast it every week. Next, he will perform an Achilles tenotomy. In this way, the foot will gain a proper appearance and function. The last and most important stage is applying a foot abduction brace. It must be worn for the subsequent 4-5 years to maintain the correction and prevent a recurrence. 

I used to have many dreams and plans. Now I only have one. To go to Vienna with my little son and have his tiny foot fixed, so that he could be independent and pain-free in the future. To let him walk and experience life.  

I am a single mom. Due to the pandemic and tax raises, my small company has hit a rough patch, and I cannot afford the treatment. The cost of the weekly appointments in Vienna, the recasts, the Achilles tenotomy, or the foot abduction brace starts at 50-60 thousand Polish zlotys. 

However, I believe that with your help, we will be able to get to Vienna! 

Thank you for your support in advance! 

Niki and Kate, the mom