Yogan’s little girl, Bronwyn, was born with clubfoot, and when she was only a few weeks old, he phoned STEPS to tell us that he wanted to raise money for children born with clubfoot in under-resourced areas of South Africa.
29 May was the first Nedbank Procurement Charity Golf Day for STEPS and Yogan’s team raised an incredible R420 000!
Yogan is a very passionate parent and proud dad,and his drive to pay it forward will impact on many children’s lives. We asked Yogan to tell us a bit about his journey with STEPS and his daughter.
How and when did you find out about STEPS?
Our daughter Bronwyn was born with bilateral clubfeet. The Orthopedic Surgeon attending to her told us about STEPS. We wanted to be well informed and educated on this condition so we visited the STEPS website and found a world of information at our fingertips.
What we found most helpful was the information about clubfeet management, from serial casting to shoe use. What to expect. The tips and advice were useful. We did not know that adding vinegar to water when soaking off the cast made the task so much easier! The illustrations were simple to follow.
What inspired you to organise the Nedbank Golf Day fundraiser?
Clubfoot is a condition that will forever be close to our hearts because our beautiful daughter was affected by it. I felt a need to do something and what better way than to use my influence with the corporate field. So the idea of the Nedbank Charity Golf Day was born.
What advice would you give to other parents going through the same journey?
To parents with children born with clubfoot/clubfeet: Fear not, this condition is easily treatable and the results seen with the Ponseti Method of Management are amazing. Make sure that your child is attended to by an Orthopedic Surgeon who specialises in this particular management program. Educate yourselves.
Our daughter has had amazing care within the private sector. I often wonder about children born with clubfeet in disadvantaged areas. We have heard of stories where children never receive treatment or are hidden away because of the “deformity”. I would like to see equal care and management for clubfeet in disadvantaged areas across Africa. I am confident that the success of the Golf Day will help greatly towards that.
