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A critical gap in funding is leaving thousands of kids without the clubfoot care they need.
We just received word from our partner in Cameroon that funding for the national clubfoot program – specifically early intervention – is being cut.
Our partner, Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services (CBCHS) has come to us asking if there’s any way we can help fill the funding gap.
Without early intervention, thousands of kids will live with needless disability and pain in their feet. Thousands more children will live with the stigma and loneliness of being left behind.
CBCHS is deeply Christian, intent on sharing Jesus’ love in word and deed. They have the medical skill and knowledge, and the ability to reach into rural areas to transform thousands of kids’ lives… but without the funds, they won’t be able to help the kids who need it.
We believe that God is calling us to fill this clubfoot funding gap. Please prayerfully consider joining us in this important work.
Early Intervention for Clubfoot
- Identification of clubfoot at birth, or as early as possible
- Gentle manipulation and casting of the foot (5-8 casts – about a week per cast)
- Minor surgery to release the Achilles tendon
- Final cast to be worn for 3 weeks
- Foot brace provided and to be worn for 3 months for 23 hours a day
- Foot brace worn during naps and night-time for the next few years
Intervention for Advanced Cases of Clubfoot
- Identification of clubfoot
- Casting and manipulation to ensure foot is in proper position for surgery
- Major surgery to reposition the foot
- Casting or ring fixator to ensure foot remains in the proper position
- Physiotherapy and rehabilitation
- Brace/orthosis worn as deemed necessary by medical staff
David’s Story
David was born with clubfeet. His mom told us, “I have longed for this baby, and now he is born with this condition. I don’t know what to do. I am confused.”
Stories like this are all too common. Moms have to wrestle through the confusion, the worry, the fear they feel when they see their child’s curling, twisted feet.
Thankfully, David’s mom heard about the clubfoot program shortly after David was born. And at just two weeks old, David was already receiving casts to straighten his tiny feet.
His journey ahead will mean a few more weeks of casts, a minor procedure to lengthen his Achilles tendon, then another round of casting and time wearing specialized shoes and braces to ensure his feet maintain the proper position.
If all goes smoothly, David will have straight feet by the time he’s ready to walk. He will have no memory of walking on twisted ankles instead of his feet because it won’t ever happen. He won’t be left behind or mocked by other kids because of his disability.
It’s a beautiful gift to give kids like David early intervention. And that’s what we are about to lose if we don’t step in to fill this funding gap. That’s what the children of Cameroon are about to lose.
By supporting this clubfoot program, you are protecting hundreds of children from needless pain and years of stigma and shame. You are stopping pain in kids’ bodies and hearts.