A First-Time Mother Faces Clubfoot in Uganda

October 03, 2018

Murungi and her husband eagerly awaited the birth of their first child but were shocked when baby Cyrus was born with unilateral clubfoot. The parents, who work as a teacher and a church leader in their community in Uganda, were unprepared for the diagnosis and did not know where to turn. Murungi remembered that she had seen the condition once before – a neighbor with bilateral clubfoot – and she contacted a midwife to get a referral for treatment.

During the three weeks that Murungi waited for the clinic appointment, she was ashamed and filled with anxiety. She kept Cyrus’s feet covered with socks and hid them while breastfeeding. She would even avoid bathing him in the outdoor bath area of the compound where she lived if there were any neighbors outside, for fear that they would notice Cyrus’s feet.

cyrus before and after treatment

Despite Murungi’s initial fears, she was immediately comforted upon arriving at the hospital clubfoot clinic with her husband, where they received more information about the treatment process and saw other children with clubfoot undergoing treatment. Cyrus received his first cast that day, and when it was removed a week later, Murungi immediately noticed that the baby’s foot was starting to move into the correct position.

Cyrus has now completed the casting phase and moved into the bracing phase. Even though Murungi sometimes feels a bit overwhelmed at the four years of bracing ahead, she knows it will provide the best treatment outcome for Cyrus and she is determined to stay the course. She is grateful that her parents and husband have been so supportive during the treatment, as it allowed her to focus on her son’s care.

Murungi and her family have many dreams for Cyrus’s future and look forward to the day he will be able to attend school. They are sharing the message with everyone they know that clubfoot is treatable and hope to help other children enroll in treatment.

The best part? Murungi has put away the socks she once used to cover Cyrus’s feet.

Learn more about MiracleFeet’s work in Uganda.

Learn more about our partner in Uganda, CoRSU Hospital.