38 partner clubfoot clinics
STEPS Clubfoot Care programme supports 38 partner clubfoot clinics in the South African state health sector and STEPS has directly trained 599 healthcare professionals on the Ponseti method of treatment. STEPS works in South Africa and supports clubfoot providers in Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Namibia.
Below is a selection of heartwarming quotes sent to STEPS by teams at some of our partner clinics. They inspire us, they remind us of what human beings are capable of and they showcase the dedication of the parents and the teams working with clubfoot.
Enjoy!
Read their stories
“Adherence is very important during this time. The clinic is open and fully operational and we are seeing all our clubfoot patients.”
Dr Terreblanche
Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Gauteng
“My reward is to see clubfoot being corrected.”
Sister Innocentia Goba
Nurse, Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, Gauteng
“Seeing a child’s foot fully corrected is the ultimate high for me.”
Dr Yammesh Ramguthy
Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon, Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Gauteng
“To the moms, do not give up, we’re always here to help you, even during Covid-19.”
Dr Wilmot
Orthopaedic Consultant, Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Gauteng
“I like kids and I like to make them happy. When I see all the mothers coming with their kids with clubfoot, I can see they are very stressed. When we have our Ponseti clinic with weekly POP, you can see the smiles of these mothers, they are less stressed. This is the best reward when we do clubfoot treatment in our clinic every week.”
Dr Muamba Tshiamala
Medical Officer, Mahikeng Hospital, North West
“The most satisfying thing is getting to see these kiddies every week and how they grow and develop as they start getting used to you. Just knowing that this child is going to be able to walk. We know that if it wasn’t for this treatment the child would not be able to walk. I always tell parents to keep holding on, one day your child will thank you when they are able to walk.
Petra Pol
Occupational Therapist, Canzibe Hospital, Eastern Cape
“My advice to families is that this process is tough as it is without the added stress of Covid-19, but keep in mind that our end goal is our children walking and able to attend school. To make sure that we give them the best chance to take hold of every opportunity.”
Ashley Kay-Hards
Physiotherapist, Madwaleni Hospital, Eastern Cape
“Being able to see the progress made from a Pirani score 6 to Pirani score 0. Eventually witnessing the child walk with normal feet again is extremely rewarding.”
Phumzile Zondi
Steps Clinic Coordinator, Grey’s Hospital, Kwa-Zulu Natal
“My personal reward is seeing how beautifully the deformity corrects, as well as seeing the smiles and disbelief on the parent’s faces as their babies’ feet gradually improve. Most importantly, changing the narrative that a child with clubfeet has a lifelong deformity.”
Dr Claudette Barnes
Orthopaedic Surgeon, Ngwelezane Hospital, Kwa-Zulu Natal
“Knowing that I have impacted someone’s life in a positive way makes me sleep better at night. The clubfoot clinic allows me to engage with caregivers and put their worries at ease.”
Dr Godfrey Tshanda
Occupational Therapist, Themba Hospital, Mpumalanga
“Dear parents: clubfoot can be corrected. The Ponseti method works. Please keep your appointments, even though we are going through the Covid-19 pandemic. You will help your child have good feet. Please continue following the treatment until the child is four years old.”
Monika Schlehmeyer
Physiotherapist, Tintswalo Hospital, Mpumalanga
“The earlier we start the treatment the better, but make sure you and your child wear the necessary protection when coming to the clinic. We will do the same in the clinic environment to protect you and your child from Covid-19.”
Tandeka Ndlovu
Physiotherapist, Taung Provincial Hospital, North West
“I love telling the parents the good news that clubfoot is completely treatable and that clubfoot will not define their child’s life. You give them hope and then they see the difference in their child’s feet every week with the Ponseti Treatment. I also find it rewarding educating and empowering the caregivers about clubfoot and developing a mutual trust and bond, as we are all working towards the same goal. Correcting the child’s feet so they can lead an active life.”
Jane Mackinnon
Steps Clubfoot Clinic Coordinator, Tygerberg Academic Hospital and Maitland Cottage Children’s Orthopaedic Hospital, Western Cape
“I know that Covid-19 is causing some anxiety and stress, but as we don’t know how long we’ll have to deal with it we can’t let that influence us. Covid-19 has been around “long term” of 1 year +. You need to consider the “shorter term” solution of getting treatment for Clubfoot as that can be about two months if all goes well, then you don’t need to follow up as often. Whereas if you postpone until you think it’s safe, Clubfoot will also be a long-term problem as it will take much longer to treat.”
Janri du Plessis
Physiotherapist, Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital, Northern Cape
“We are all in very difficult times. Sometimes we feel like giving up and that the battles are too big to fight. But our babies and mothers are warriors. And we are so proud of the way they endure so many challenges and still keep fighting. They endure long – very early – travelling, long waits in queues and the difficult thing of caring for a baby in casts for weeks and sometimes months. I can only commend them and tell them that this too shall pass! And the reward is lifelong. They are an inspiration to us. I feel so privileged to be part of each and every mother and baby’s lives!”
Riette Van Zyl
Assistant Director-Physiotherapy, Dihlabeng Provincial Hospital, Free State
“Working in a rural hospital comes with so many challenges that often prevent us from being able to give our patients the treatments and care that we wish we could. But with clubfoot, it’s one of those rare cases where we are actually able to provide our patients with the gold standard of care. Clubfoot treatment doesn’t need a lot of money or resources, essentially it just needs some dedicated health professionals who are willing to put in the time to learn the technique and caregivers who are willing to support their children through this process. This means that despite our challenges, we are still able to provide such a life changing service to these children. And for that we are so grateful.”
Britney Baker
Occupational Therapist, St Elizabeth’s Mission Hospital, Eastern Cape
“Parents, push for your child’s treatment, even if there are difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic, like transport. The weekly follow-up in the casting phase is very important.”
Dr Jacques Coetzee
Orthopaedic Surgeon, Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital, Northern Cape
“It is very rewarding to see the difference a well-fitted clubfoot brace can make for successful treatment. I am inspired by how important a mere boot can be in the process.”
Piet Moopa
Orthotist and Prosthetist, George Mukhari Academic Hospital, Gauteng
“I’ve been doing the clubfoot clinic here at Livingstone since 2012. Some of the first babies I saw are now almost 10 years old and fully -fledged human beings with personalities and functional feet they are walking around on. For me the greatest reward is seeing how happy these kids are and how grateful the parents are. To be able to inspire hope and give comfort and reassurance to a worried parent is truly a blessing.”
Judy Prince
Physiotherapist, Livingstone, Eastern Cape
“The joy that a mother gets when she sees an abnormal foot turn into a normal looking and fully functional foot, that gives me the biggest thrill. The thrill in this business is that we are not just treating children, we treat whole families when we treat clubfoot.”
