Everyone looked at him, but no one told me the truth. I felt that something was wrong, that my son is not completely healthy... Everyone was silent, and when I asked, they only said that Olek had his foot tucked up, but it's a cosmetic thing and it's enough to put a plaster on... I could not get up, go to him or touch his little hands. The labor was severe, the doctors did an caesarean section, Oluś did not breathe - resuscitation was done quickly and everyone breathed a sigh of relief...
On the day when he was born, only in a picture I saw my miracle with his black hair and a dimple in his chin. I knew that something was wrong with his leg, but I believed that someone would come to talk to me about it soon. No one came..
When I had enough strength to walk through the hospital corridor and look at him, all the worries disappeared in an instant. He was lovely, tiny, absolutely the most important in the world and mine. My heart was beating with all its strength and tears appeared in my eyes. Do you know this feeling when one thought marbles the greatest possible happiness? One of the doctors told me while passing, that with such a small baby everything will return to normal in just a moment. I could not believe it, some thought silenced all the others. It's a big problem, I felt it, but nobody wanted to give me even a moment...
After the third day of life, the leg of Oluś was plastered for the first time. Back then I was hoping that it would help. Now, with my current knowledge, I realize that he had no chance for health.
When my son was 4 months old, we came across a doctor in Austria, Dr. Radler. We went there for a consultation. The doctor in Vienna named the disease - tibal hemimelia tibialis. He recommended straightening the feet. Since then we are constantly gaining knowledge about this rare disease. The Internet is our only ally in learning about it. Oluś had so far 12 plasters, 1 operation, a correction rail, many kilometers traveled, a lot of new places, lots nights in hotels, many people met, many unexpected events and extreme situations.
Olek has already been spoken to in English, German, Slovak and Czech. It cost us many insecurity, many important decisions to take, a lot of fear, nerves, stress and sacrifices. However, in Austria at some point everything stopped - this much can be done, nothing more...
We sought further, knowing that we would seek until we succeeded. We managed to organize consultations in April during the stay of Dr. Paley and Dr. Feldman from the USA in Warsaw. Then it turned out that, apart from the clubfoot and the lack of the tibia, there is also no ankle joint. To our despair, we heard from the doctor that our treatment in Austria was all for nothing. So much pain and suffering for nothing, just because a bad diagnosis had been made... What a drama! The Paley institute is our great hope. In there, the treatment begins when the child turns 18 months.
We have received a 100% guarantee of success. Three operations in Florida and one year's stay in the US await us. The first surgery is substitution of the fibula bone in place of the tibia bone. It is unimaginable that such a miracle can happen in our lives. Then there must be a long rehabilitation, as well as bone lengthening. The costs are huge, and we have to start in only three months!
The doctor said that if we are scared of a long and expensive way of treatment, the amputation is another way out, because this foot will never grow, and in the future it will only be a nuisance to our son.
This foot, however, grows, is fully innervated, and as it turns out, it can be a use in to Olek the future. On one side, we have a chance for the normal functioning of our child, on the other, there is amputation and disability for the rest of his live. The amount of money that we are faced with is enormous, but the whole further life of our son depends on it. We will do everything to succeed. Please, help our child.
