Clubfoot in the Congo: Meet Dieuveilles

June 05, 2018

Dieuveilles’s family brought him to the MiracleFeet-sponsored clubfoot clinic in Brazzaville after they learned that his bilateral clubfoot was treatable. His parents had spent the first three and a half years of their son’s life believing that a curse or wrongdoing in the family’s past was somehow to blame for the condition of Dieuveilles’s feet.

One important part of MiracleFeet’s work in the Republic of the Congo is to spread the message about clubfoot and let parents of children like Dieuveilles know that the condition is treatable. Knowledge about the condition breaks down stigma and suspicion. Access to treatment for children born with clubfoot can transform entire communities.

Because Dieuveilles’s parents learned about their local clubfoot clinic and were relieved of the shame of thinking they had caused the condition, this young child will have access to opportunities for education and social integration that many children with neglected or untreated clubfoot lack.

After eight casts and a tenotomy, Dieuveilles is currently in the bracing stage. His parents are happy with the results and grateful to his treatment team. They make the two-hour journey to his appointments and are committed to helping raise awareness of clubfoot in their community.

What is their message to other parents? “Do not hesitate to bring your children to the Ponseti clinic!”

Want to learn more? Read about MiracleFeet’s work with ADRBE here.