CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES:
I was born with clubfoot on my left foot – the right was normal. I had corrective surgery at age to straighten my foot. As I realized I was a little bit different than the other kids, it affected me profoundly, being very embarrassed about having two different sized legs. I was teased as a child, and one of my playmates said that I would not be able to dance or have boyfriends, but I proved her wrong.
We lived near a “state school” as it was called, and visiting there as a child, I saw kids with mental disabilities who had clubfeet. I was devastated. My inner thoughts were that I was such a disappointment to my folks for not having a “perfect child”, although I had such loving parents. My Mom thought I would not be able to wear “heels”, but I proved her wrong.
COMING TO ACCEPTANCE:
Throughout my life in my family my brother married a woman who had polio in her left leg, and I dated a man who had suffered an amputation of the lower part of his left leg suffered in World War II. It was easy to identify with them. I married my high school sweetheart who was a track star, thinking he would keep my kids from having clubfeet. We had three babies and with each birth the first thing I would look at was their feet, all normal! In adulthood I paid $1,000 for a prothesis made of rubber to look like my other leg. It was too hot to wear and didn’t look natural. I also visited a physician whom I thought could inject silicone into my leg, like enlargement of breasts, but he said that could not be done. It was not until I was age 40 that I accepted my clubfoot. Now at age 67 I have sciatica because of my spine being out of alignment. I never had an elevated shoe.
It is good to find the clubfootclub and to be in touch with others who have the same affliction. Please feel free to e-mail me
