Stepping Up: A Clubfoot Dad’s Triathlon for MiracleFeet

August 08, 2016

Jude Sangillo has always been a fighter.

His amazing ability to see any challenge as an opportunity was put to the test a few years ago. He and his wife found out their son, Andrew, would be born with clubfoot. They didn’t know a lot about the condition and started researching options. Soon knew they would be able to deal with the future after learning about the Ponseti Method’s proven track record of success.

Jude was moved by the realization of just how fortunate his family was to find the treatment his son needed with relative ease. “Clubfoot exists, but we have access to treatment, and in our country most of the children are treated and live healthy, productive lives,” he said. Outside of the US, there are hundreds of thousands of kids who don’t have access to treatment.

But there is hope. In Jude’s words, “For clubfoot, a cure exists. It’s just a matter of us providing the infrastructure and access to that care.”

Always looking for a challenge, Jude had been considering participating in a triathlon for the last couple of years. Making a difference in the lives of children born with clubfoot seemed like a great reason to go after his goal. With a very busy schedule and two young children, a few of Jude’s friends thought he was crazy. This, of course,just added fuel to his passion. After training for four months, Jude participated in the Escape the Cape Triathlon in Cape May, NJ. He jumped off a ferry into the water, racing past the house where he grew up, and finishing 114th out of 907!

We at MiracleFeet were thrilled to see that Jude’s efforts raised over $5,000. This is enough to give life-changing clubfoot treatment to twenty children!

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His advice to clubfoot parents.

Jude sees Andrew’s clubfoot as just one challenge out of many he will face in his lifetime. “Know that the outcome is going to be positive. It’s going to be hard and a long journey but the end goal is that your child is going to be able to walk. Take it step by step, day by day, and you’ll see the progress.”

Sounds like a champion to us!