A Clubfoot Mom

In this episode of A Clubfoot Mom Podcast, host Maureen Hoff talks with Mariangel, clubfoot mom and founder of LittleClubbers Apparel—a company creating clothing made for clubfoot cuties in BnB. Hear how her personal journey inspired a business that supports families and celebrates life in boots and bar.

https://littleclubbersapparel.com/

This episode features a conversation with Bill Palmer, Executive and Leadership coach, Pro Bono Coach for Global Clubfoot Initiative, and recent founder of The Clubfoot Fund. Bill talks about his personal experience living with clubfoot and about what led him to become involved with GCI and inevitably start The Clubfoot Fund. To check out the impactful work Bill is doing please visit https://www.clubfootfund.org/

The holiday season always brings about a time of reflection for me about the impact clubfoot has had on our families life, and on my perspective of the world. I talk about how I felt navigating the holiday season after learning about her clubfoot diagnosis and how isolated I felt knowing my life had changed in an instant and everyone else seemed to be functioning as nothing had changed. I read a quote about grief from a recent book I read, and talk about how I think it relates to my experience of clubfoot diagnosis.

A quick check in episode with life updates for myself and my clubfoot cutie. I talk about transition to working full time and the impacts it has had on our family, and how the current clubfoot stage lends itself less to those day to day experiences and updates.

This episode features a conversation with Jacob Kodner, a clubfoot dad. Jacob talks about his experience of hearing the clubfoot diagnosis, how he went about researching treatment options, and how he feels clubfoot treatment impacted him as a first time father. There are so many clubfoot dads out there that are active partners in their child's clubfoot treatment and I am grateful for Jacob's willingness to share his with all of you. If you know a clubfoot dad who might need to hear from another dad, this is the episode to share!

I had a recent email from a parent asking about our daughter's life after BnB in regards to sports and activities and how it compares to her peers. I talk about our cutie's overall activity level and the different components that play into that. I unexpected got emotional at the end of the episode, talking about how we have seen a transition from clubfoot being a major part of her life to now only being a piece of her story. Hope this episode helps parents out there who are wondering about life after BnB!

In this episode I open up about my feelings of moving from being her primary caregiver with BnB to our cutie going to Kindergarten full time. The amount of angst I felt about her going to Kindergarten was largely tied into her also graduating from BnB and trying to figure out how to transition out of that caregiver role for her. I felt very lost and wasn't sure whether or not I wanted (or even had a right to) create content for clubfoot parents. I hope these musing are helpful in some capacity to you all!

It has been a minute since I released a new episode and I thought I would give a little update on my cutie's clubfoot and what's been happening in our lives. Looking forward to releasing more episodes soon. As always, if there is content you want to hear about, please reach out! I thrive on the feedback from you all.

For the first episode of season 4 of A Clubfoot Mom podcast features a conversation with Emily Mallion a clubfoot mom and author of the children's book "Do You Have Magic Boots?" centered around the clubfoot journey. Emily talks about her son's clubfoot journey and the unique experience they had traveling the world as a family while he was in BnB. She gives her top 5 tips for traveling and how the experience traveling informed her writing her book. A huge thanks to Emily for being a guest and to check out her book click this link: https://emilymallionbooks.com/

In this episode I talk about the challenges we faced with our cutie that we might have attributed to the BnB which in hindsight was actually probably more about her personality than anything else. It is hard enough trying to figure out what an infant needs and then you add in a medical device and it adds another layer of complexity. This is my reflection of how what I think was less about BnB and more about my cutie.

A first ever for the podcast, an episode dedicated to physical therapy and clubfoto treatment, with my incredible guest Denise Watson. Denise is an Advanced Practice Physiotherapist who is the lead practioner in the Ponseti Clubfoot Service and has been practicing the Ponseti method for 21 years. I gathered all the questions for this episode directly from parents on Instagram and Denise was gracious enough to answer them all. I learned so much from this conversation and know you will too.

In this episode I discuss what I believe is one of the most important and often overlooked questions that needs to be asked in your consultation with your clubfoot treatment providers. There are great resources available with technical Ponseti questions that delve in to experience and treatment protocol, but this is a question I think is equally as important for parents. Listen and see if you feel the same.

As my cutie gets older and enters into more organized sports, I wonder whether or not I should be telling her coaches or gym teachers about her clubfoot? I don't pretend to have the answer, I just walk through my experience with her gymnastics coach and trying to determine the best path forward with disclosing her clubfoot diagnosis to people.

A couple of months ago, I stumbled upon a bad review for my book Clubfoot Chronicles, and in this episode I discuss how I felt about the review and what it made me consider in relation to my work within the clubfoot community.

Catherine Mclean is a young woman living with clubfoot it the UK and discusses her experience of clubfoot with us on this episode. Catherine talks about how she viewed her clubfoot as a child, and how things changed when she was no longer had follow up appointments and began to experience pain as a teenage. She talks about her experience at university and how she has managed to advocate for herself to make the necessary accommodations to improve her quality of life. Catherine and I also have an interesting discussion about when and how to tell coaches and teachers...

Anjie England is back in this episode to give us all her insights and experiences of traveling with her son Aaron for his clubfoot relapse treatment. She gives advice on how to navigate airport security, manage flights, and where to stay when you are out of state. Anjie is a wealth of knowledge in this department and I know that there are a fair amount of families who have to travel for treatment and I am so grateful for Anjie's willingness to talk about her experience.

In this short and sweet episode, I give you information about the upcoming Zoom event, "Stepping Forward Together", a parent event sponsored by MD Orthopaedics. The event is dedicated to clubfoot parents and features experienced orthotists, Shannon O'Shea from Hanger Clinic and Ksenia Major from Boston O&P. We gathered FAQ from the clubfoot community about the bracing phase of treatment and Shannon and Ksenia will be answering those questions. Anyone can register, it is completely free, and it is really focused on being an additional resource for clubfoot parents. Click this link to register: https://us06web.zoom...

In this follow up episode to the For Family and Friends of Clubfoot Cuties, I talk more in depth about the different ways you can support clubfoot parents at different phases of treatment. I start with diagnosis and go through extended brace wear and give ideas on what support might be helpful and what things you might want to avoid saying or doing for clubfoot parents. I speak from my own experience of what worked for me but also as a parent who wish she had accepted more help from friends and family during really challenging parts of treatment...

This episode is for the extended family and friends of clubfoot cuties and their parents. When parents receive the clubfoot diagnosis of their baby, they can feel overwhelmed with learning about the diagnosis, researching treatment methods and providers, and emotionally processing it all. I created this episode specifically for parents to refer anyone in their life to learn the basics of clubfoot and its treatment. If you are a clubfoot parent who is trying to learn themselves about clubfoot and don't know where to start to explain to you family and friends, this episode is here for you to...

Betsy Miller joins me to talk about the upcoming release of Clubfoot Connections: Stories, Essays, and Poetry from the Clubfoot Community. Betsy talks about how the idea for this anthology came about and how we were able to take the idea and make it happen. I am so excited for this book to be released and we talk about how important it is to provide a space for all clubfoot experiences, which was a goal of ours for this book. We are so grateful for each of the authors who submitted a piece of their stories to create this...

Erica Atha is the mother of a clubfoot cutie who joins me on the podcast today to talk about her son's clubfoot journey and her clubfoot parent experience. Erica ad I formed a friendship over social media and she has been an amazing support for me throughout this whole podcast and I am excited for her to share her story with you all. This conversation was fun for me because it felt like two friends chatting. A huge thank you to Erica for being a guest and I hope you really enjoy this episode.

In this episode I talk about the big party we threw for our cutie when she graduated from BnB. I talk about why we wanted to throw a party, the special items I ordered for her and a full run through of how the party went. Ending BnB is A HUGE deal for clubfoot families and I talk about why it was so important for us to celebrate in such a big way.

This episode is a first for the podcast as it features a mom who has two kiddos who were born with clubfoot, Katherine Jardine. Katherine lives in the UK where both her sons received clubfoot treatment and works for the Global Clubfoot Initiative. Katherine talks about the differences in her sons treatments based on their severity level, how she felt when her second child was diagnosed with clubfoot, and where she sees the difference between her sons personalities now. It was such an insightful conversation, where I learned a lot about how no two clubfeet are the same. I...

Our cutie has officially graduated from her BnB and I talk about how the end came about in an unexpected way. I talk about how we made the decision to keep bracing until 5 and about how our cutie reacted when we told her she didn't have to wear her BnB anymore.

In this episode I speak with Semeda, a company based in Germany who creates products for clubfoot treatment. I speak with Harald, Andrea, and Artur a team from Semeda about a wide range of topics pertaining to clubfoot. We discuss the unique challenges clubfoot treatment faces in Europe and where the company sees clubfoot treatment headed in the future. Since we were speaking over seas and they were in a group format, there are bits where the audio got a little tricky, but we persevered and the result was an engaging and interesting conversation about clubfoot. A big thank...

In a previous episode I talk about how important it is to advocate for your child on the clubfoot treatment journey, but now I am exploring why it is important to advocate for your needs as a parent as well. We hear time and time again that in pediatric care the parents wellness is vital to the wellness of the child they are caring for, and part of that parental wellness is the parents getting what they need from their child's care team as well. If you have more questions after an appointment, how do you get them answered? If...

While watching my cutie play at an indoor play place recently, I realized how zeroed in I am on not just my cutie's feet but all kiddo feet. I talk about my experience watching other kiddos walk, run and jump and wonder what other parents, with non-clubfoot kids, think about this. I will always be over analytical of her feet, but this clubfoot journey has made me analytical of all feet.

Katie Taylor is simply amazing, I can't explain the impact she has had on my and my cutie's life, and I am so excited to share her with you. We have a great conversation about what Child Life Specialists do and how they empower parents on their child's medical treatment journey. Katie is the CEO and Founder of Child Life On Call, which is working to expand access to Child Life Specialists to more families in need. Click the link to become a beta tested for the Child Life On Call App.

Socks, socks, and more socks. Sock talk is pervasive amongst clubfoot parents, because these aren't your typical socks. So many parents ask for recommendations about the best socks for their clubfoot cutie's and the truth is, it depends on your cutie. In this episode, I talk about experience with finding appropriate socks, what was helpful and what wasn't.

One of the biggest unknowns for us when we started BnB was how to know when it was time to switch boot sizes. It might seem intuitive, but it can come with a lot of different input and information from sources that can sometimes cause confusion. This episode talks about how we handled switching boot sizes, from knowing when it was time to move to the next size up and the plan we had to make that switch as smooth as possible.

In this episode I talk about our approach to stretching and PT for our cutie, from the onset of BnB to what we plan to do when she graduates from her BnB nightly wear. This is all information derived from our own experience and are not recommendations.

In this episode I explore my feelings of regret during my cutie's clubfoot treatment. I talk about the things I regret specific to her treatment but also personal regrets. I attempt to take the exploration a step further to think about what I have learned from those feelings of regret. Hopefully the clubfoot parents listening can find some solace or similarity in my experiences.

As my cutie nears the end of treatment I find myself unexpectedly panicked. In this episode I talk about my mixed emotions about nearing the end of her BnB, excitement and unexpected fear. Why am I freaking out when the finish line is so close in sight? I keep it real about how I am feeling about it all.

Klaire Harvey is a clubfoot mom who lives in the UK and started her own charity Head2Toe to raise awareness for correct clubfoot treatment. Klaire shares her daughter, Elise's, clubfoot journey, how is had a tumultuous start, which sometimes limits what she shares with families in fear that it will scare them. I found our conversation to be honest and enlightening and encourage you to listen to her story because it rings true to many clubfoot families. We also discuss the differences in treatment in the UK vs the US. A huge thank you to Klaire for being...

Dr. Nitza Rodriguez is an adult and pediatric foot and ankle specialist at Southern California Foot & Ankle Specialists, and a PIA Ponseti Certified Clubfoot Doctor. Dr, Rodriguez is well known in the clubfoot community for deeply caring about her patients. In this episode we discuss why Dr. Rodriguez was drawn to clubfoot treatment, her personal relationship with Dr. Ponseti, and where she thinks clubfoot treatment can advance in the future. I love how honest and real Dr. Rodriguez is and it is palpable how much she cares about her patients and their families. A huge thank you to Dr...

Sarah Maxwell is currently holds the title of Miss Veteran's Day New Jersey 2023 and an adult living with clubfoot. I first heard Sarah's story through social media and was inspired by her story and the way she spreads awareness of clubfoot. In this episode, Sarah talks about experience participating in the Miss America sponsorship competitions, how her clubfoot has impacted her journey, and how she uses her social impact initiative to spread clubfoot awareness. I am excited for you all to hear her story and a huge thank you to Sarah for her willingness to share and for all...

This episode features the incomparable Dr. John Herzenberg, the Director, International Center for Limb Lengthening, and Head of Pediatric Orthopedics, Sinai Hospital, and Clinical Professor and UMMS. If you are a listener of this podcast you will recognize Dr. Herzenberg's name because of the podcast where I tell you about my experience putting on a clubfoot cast with him. He truly is a champion of the Ponseti method and you will hear him talk about how he came across the method and adopted it into his own work. Dr. Herzenberg has always been a supporter of my work helping...

This episode is a departure from many of the episodes you will hear on this podcast. I never thought I would publish this episode, but after some encouragement, I figured I would be vulnerable and speak it out into the world. It isn't polished and put together like most of my episodes attempt to be, you can even hear my kids monitors in the background. Thanks for listening and letting me keep it real with all of you.

In this episode I talk about about gift ideas for clubfoot cuties at different stages in of treatment: newly diagnosed in utero, casting/infant, toddler, and gift ideas for your clubfoot parents. With the holiday season officially upon on us, I wanted to give some ideas of gifts we received and loved, and gifts we wish we would have gotten. Note: this is not an endorsement for any product, just opinions on what we liked and what I think are good gift ideas for clubfoot families. Happy Holidays!

If you are a member of the clubfoot community in the US you are bound to come across 26th Ave Clubfoot Essentials which is owned and operated solely by Brooke Keller. Brooke is a fellow clubfoot mom who started her business of creating accessories for clubfoot items like bar covers and boot covers to bring joy to clubfoot families. We talk about how Brooke came up with the idea for her bar covers and how her business expanded through social media and the clubfoot community. Brooke is simply amazing and I can not wait for you to hear her...

Shannon O’Shea is an ABC-certified prosthetist/orthotist and the Area Clinic Manager and National Clinical Specialist: Pediatrics for Hanger Clinic. As a strong believer in education, Shannon is passionate about ensuring families feel comfortable with, and supported throughout, their care journey. Shannon and I discuss what exactly an orthotist is and the role they play during clubfoot treatment. We talk about how important parent education is to empower parents to feel successful and how the relationship between the orthotist and the parent can play a major part in helping parents feel confident bracing at home. Shannon talks about th...

In this episode I talk about the routine we set up for our Cutie's frequent blood draws for her ITP. Similar to the BnB nightly routine, we wanted to set up a consistent routine to make each blood draw as successful as possible. I talk about our whole routine and the ways in which we advocated for her throughout the process. Hope you find it helpful!

Jessica Patay is the founder of We Are Brave Together and mom to a medically complex child. We Are Brave Together might sound familiar because it is the organization that hosts the Virtual Support Group for Moms of Clubfoot Cutie, and I wanted to introduce you to Jessica because she is such an incredible advocate for her child but also for moms. She started We Are Brave Together with the intention to encouraging and serving caregiving moms everywhere through support groups, workshops, and retreats to help moms feel recharged and empowered on their caregiver journeys. I am so grateful...

Your child's clubfoot diagnosis comes with a lot more than figuring out the treatment path and all of it's logistics, it is a lot to emotionally process as well. So much of what I hear from families with clubfoot cuties is about the moment of diagnosis and all the subsequent emotions that went with it. In this episode, I open up about my emotional response to our cutie's diagnosis and encourage listeners to think about their own emotions surrounding the diagnosis as well.

I became a huge fan of Vedant and his family before I ever had the chance to meet them. I watched Vedant's interview with his clubfoot doctor, Dr. Lim, and was so impressed by him and his story. Vedant and his parents talk about their clubfoot journey, accessing treatment, the social stigma of clubfoot, and their Mt. Kilimanjaro Climb fundraising event benefiting MiracleFeet. It was such an honor to host this incredible family on the podcast and I know you all will enjoy it just as much as I did.

In this episode I speak with Karen Moss, a clubfoot mom and Founder and Executive Director of Steps Charity. Karen talks about making the decision to travel from South Africa to Iowa to have her son treated by Dr. Ponseti himself and how that was the precursor to everything that happened after. Karen is an amazing clubfoot advocate whose organization's vision is to improve the lives of children born with clubfoot, and they do just that. Karen talks about the main pillars of their organization and their upcoming conference in South Africa in November. I am so grateful to...

In this episode I share our cutie's journey with ITP (immune thrombocytopenia), a rare autoimmune disorder that causes low platelet counts. I have discussed our cutie having a new diagnosis prior, but never illuminated exactly what it was until now. I chose today to release this podcast for two reasons, the first being a celebration that our daughter's platelet numbers have reached remission levels and second it is go purple for platelet's day in culmination of September being ITP Awareness month. I break the episode into a few different sections:

My struggle on when and how much...

Chesca Colloredo-Mansfeld is Co-Founder and CEO of the nonprofit oganization MiracleFeet, which helps provide treatment for clubfoot children by increasing access to care through partnerships with local healthcare. Chesca talks about how MiracleFeet got started, what she sees as their biggest challenge in clubfoot treatment, and how listeners can get involved in their mission. I give a little insight into our personal experience fundraising for MiracleFeet as well. A huge thank you to Chesca for being a guest on the podcast and for all the work MiracleFeet does for clubfoot children around the world. https://www.miraclefeet.org/donate...

This is an extra special follow up episode as we hear from Aaron, a clubfoot cutie, about his experience of clubfoot relapse and its treatment. Aaron is a spirited and fun loving boy who is kind enough to share with everyone his clubfoot journey. Anjie and Aaron also talk about fundraising for Hope Walks, and how Aaron came up with the idea and the fun things he does to raise funds for kids who need clubfoot treatment globally. A big thank you to Aaron for his willingness to be a guest on this episode! Just wait until you hear...

Anjie England is mom to Aaron, a clubfoot kiddo who experienced a relapse and treatment. Anjie talks about her experience hearing about Aaron's relapse, determining when to do treatment, and what their travel experience was like. Anjie is an incredible mom and advocate for her son, and her story is one that I really connected with. You have heard from Surgeons about relapse, and Lindsay about the relapse diagnosis, and now Anjie will tell you about the full experience and coming through the other side. As a special treat Aaron joins us at the end of our recording to...

This episode is a call for submissions from clubfoot parents for the Clubfoot Anthology Betsy Miller and I are working on. I give the background for inception of the project, how Betsy Miller came up with the idea for the Clubfoot Anthology, how I got looped in, and what our goals are for the project. We want your voices to be heard. Submissions are accepted through September 2022 click this link for the submission https://www.thinkinginkpress.com/clubfoot-anthology-submission-guidelines/

In the first return visit to the podcast, Lindsay Loring gives us an update about her daughter and her current treatment plan. Lindsay was one of the very first guests on the podcast, where we talked about sleep tips for clubfoot cuties, and she shared her daughter's clubfoot story. A lot has happened since that episode was published, and Lindsay has so graciously offered to share the story of her daughter's continuing clubfoot treatment today. To say I am grateful for Lindsay sharing is an understatement, and when you listen, I know you will understand why.

When your cutie enters BnB it can be hard to imagine the next 4/5 years of brace wear. Thinking about keeping your toddler from trying to remove their boots while you are sleeping can be overwhelming. In this episode I talk about what we have done to try and keep our Cutie from messing around and removing her boots at night. I won't pretend to know all the answers, but will tell you what I think has worked for us in hopes that it will work for you too! This is a follow up episode to the Importance of a...

Bernie Landels is a certified infant massage instructor and author of the book, "Finding Their Feet" and in this episode we discuss how important feet are in to the developing infant brain. I am thrilled to bring you this episode because Bernie is so passionate about feet. Bernie talks about ways that parents can help stimulate the feet for continued development during casting and BnB phases of treatment. Bernie has so many insightful tips for parents and has dedicated time to creating resources just for the clubfoot community, This episode is worth the listen and I am so grateful...

In this episode I talk about why establishing a bedtime routine early on in your cutie's treatment can have long term benefits. I give details about how we established our own cutie's bedtime routine from the onset of her 23 hour BnB wear and how we have adapted it as she grew. I credit a lot of our cutie's compliance with the BnB to the routine we have created because she knows what to expect every time. I encourage you to help create your own routine with your cutie in the hopes that it aid to successful compliance as well...

This episode features a conversation with Julie Rose is the Co-Chair for the Family Centered Care Advisory Council at The Hospital for Sick Children. When I heard Julie on a different podcast telling her personal story and talking about her experience with Family Centered Care, I knew I had to hear more. Thankfully, Julie agreed to talk to us about the importance of including the parents in any pediatric care, including clubfoot, and how that can be achieved through education, confidence, mental health check ins and care, and advocacy. We talk about how these concepts can be adapted into...

In this episode I talk about how we handled the nighttime challenges of potty training with the BnB. This wasn't a huge challenge for us with our daughter, so I talk about the things I thought made in successful in the hopes that it will help you find your own path to success with your cutie.

Dr. Steven Frick, Chief of Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery at Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital/Stanford, Professor and Vice Chair of Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine, talks about his personal experience of having a child born with clubfoot and how that lead to a passion for treating clubfoot as an surgeon. Dr. Frick discusses how he manages parent's expectations of clubfoot treatment from the very first visit and the common misconceptions that parents can have about clubfoot. He also discusses common signs of relapse (residual deformity) and how they can be treated. A huge thank yo...

In this extra special episode, I talk with my oldest daughter, Addie, about her experience having a little sister with clubfoot. Addie is a very special kid, who is supremely kind, and has an incredible ability to speak about her experience at the young age of 9. Addie loves to perform and speak in front of others and is super excited to share her story with you. We talk about what it is like to have a sister with clubfoot the positives, like being able to help with treatment, and negatives, mom and dad having to give so much attention...

In honor of World Clubfoot Day on June 3rd, this episode is dedicated to all the clubfoot moms past, present, and future. I feel so strongly about the vital role clubfoot parents played in the rise of the Ponseti Method that the afterword of Clubfoot Chronicles is all about them. I am eternally grateful to the clubfoot moms who came before me, for the clubfoot moms I have found community in, and for the all the clubfoot moms who will continue to advocate in the future. There isn't a day that goes by that I do not think of...

Lori Howard is not only a clubfoot mom and a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist but she is the mother of the incomparable, and previous guest, Chloe Howard. If you listened to Chole's episode, you know that I just had to meet the mom behind this amazing clubfoot advocate and speaker. Lori and I discuss the grief and loss parents can feel when hearing a diagnosis that changes the expectations of having an "idealized child". Lori also dives into the impact having a child with special needs can have on the family unit and gives up some advice on...

Dr. Mitzi Williams is a Pediatric Foot and Lower Extremity Surgeon and Co-director of the Pediatric and Infant Foot Deformity Clinic at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, California, and the author of two children's books about clubfoot, My Boots and the to be released, My Big Boots. Dr. Williams and I have a great conversation about how important the relationship between the clubfoot treatment provider and parent is to create successful outcomes. She talks about how becoming a parent impacted her approach to caring for patients and their families, and why she wanted to create a educational resource for parents...

Erin Norton is an inspiring clubfoot mom who talks about her journey of finding out about her son's clubfoot diagnosis one day after her husband was deployed. She talks about how challenging it was to process the diagnosis without her main support person, how she handled the casting phase of treatment on her own, and how incredible it felt when her husband returned home just in time for the transition to BnB. It was incredible to talk with Erin and I know you will enjoy listening to her story.

You have probably noticed that I like to end my interview podcasts by asking about special moments people have experienced on the clubfoot journey. This episode is a deeper look into why I love to hear the answer to that question and how focusing on simple moments has helped me stay present and grateful in my life and my daughter's clubfoot treatment journey.

In this episode I speak with Lindsay Easley, a clubfoot mom who has faced many challenges with her cutie throughout treatment. Lindsay talks openly about the struggles and triumphs they have faced together. She talks about the reasons that lead her to switch treatment teams, and how a Child Life Specialist at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital provided her with a safe place to express her fears and develop the trust she needed in her daughter's medical treatment team. Lindsay is an amazing mother and I can't wait for you to hear her story.

Dr. Kenneth Noonan, Chief of Pediatric Orthopaedics at the American Family Children’s Hospital, discusses clubfoot relapse, and explains why he prefers the term residual deformity to relapse. Dr. Noonan explains why and how residual deformities occur, how he treats them, and if it is possible for parents to help prevent it. Dr. Noonan then answers questions that came specifically from the listeners about this topic, which is a first for the podcast. With my cutie recently turning four, relapse is always on my mind, and this episode was supremely helpful in my understanding and I am certain it wi...

I am excited to share this episode because it is something I have wanted to do from the moment my cutie was diagnosed with clubfoot, start a support group. In this episode I talk about why I wanted to start a group, why We Are Brave Together was the perfect organization to partner with, and what my hopes for the group are. I go into a bit of detail about the purpose of the group, to help create a safe place for clubfoot moms to find connection and support through shared experiences.

Dr. Derek Kelly, Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon at Campbell Clinic Orthopaedics, discusses all things clubfoot diagnosis and treatment on this episode. Dr. Kelly goes into great detail about the technical medical aspects of a a clubfoot diagnosis in a way that can be easily understood by parents. We discuss the ins and outs of how and why the Ponseti method of treatment work, and the historical information as to how it became the gold standard of clubfoot treatment. Dr. Kelly talks about the need to provide support for parents and how it important it is that parents reach out for...

Chloe Howard is an author, speaker, clubfoot advocate, and Junior at Westmont College in CA and is the first guest to be on the podcast who was born with clubfoot. Chloe and I have an in depth conversation about what it was like for her growing up, the hate crime she experienced and preserved through, and how her parents supported her throughout her journey. Chole is the author of a memoir, Standing Beautiful, and a children's picture book by the same title, This has been one of my very favorite conversations to date and I know that you will...

In this episode, I have a conversation with Danika Baskar, a future Orthopaedic Surgeon, about her Research Fellowship at the Stanford Division of Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery under Dr. Steven Frick. Danika talks about the different research studies focused on congenital clubfoot during her fellowship and how the information from those studies can help clubfoot families in the future. One of those studies focuses on clubfoot within social media platforms, and I was surprised to learn just how large the online presence of clubfoot is today. We also discuss how Danika became passionate about clubfoot and where she sees clubfoot...

In this episode I talk about the products that we have used and loved during our Cutie's clubfoot treatment. I polled the Instagram community about what they want to hear in the podcast and product recommendations was a top suggested topic, so here it is. I talk about different products we used during the different phases of treatment, casting, BnB transition, and sleep. I go into detail about why we loved these products and how we found them useful. Theses are simply recommendations, I am not affiliated with any of the products, just found them helpful on our journey...

In this episode I have the opportunity to speak with Jill Harold, a clubfoot mom, the co-author of the children's book Hip. Hop, Hooray for Brooklyn, and clubfoot advocate. Jill is an active and engaging member of the clubfoot community who was there at the beginning of the social media groups created for clubfoot support. Jill talks about her experience with her daughter, where she is now, and why she decided to write her book. I really enjoyed talking with Jill, she is so knowledgeable and passionate about clubfoot awareness and providing support to other clubfoot parents. I hope...

In this episode I talk about how we have started to have the conversation with our cutie about her clubfoot. We have been waiting until she was developmentally ready and she started asking questions about it. Our cutie is almost 4 years old and while she knew that she had to wear her BnB every night, she never really understood why. One of my upcoming guests made me realize that she might be ready for more in depth answers to why she has to wear her BnB and see a special doctor for her feet. I talk about how we...

In this episode I open up about a new diagnosis we have received for our clubfoot cutie, and how her clubfoot treatment journey has changed the way I have approached her new diagnosis. While I don't go into specifics about this new diagnosis, I talk about the impact her clubfoot diagnosis has changed the way I approach this new diagnosis. I talk about the different ways I researched the new diagnosis and it's treatment, to how I explain it to others, and how I have allowed myself more grace while I emotionally process the change this new diagnosis brings...

This is an exciting episode to share as it features a conversation with my first Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon, Dr. Maryse Bouchard at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada. After I give a very brief overview of the Ponseti Method for clubfoot treatment is and the role the surgeon plays in treatment, Dr. Bouchard and I dive in to discuss all things clubfoot. Dr. Bouchard talks about what drew her to pediatrics and why she loves working with clubfoot families. I appreciate Dr. Bouchard's willingness to be a guest on the podcast and listeners will learn so much...

This episode features a conversation with Dawn Anderson, the CEO and Founder of the Canadian Clubfoot Support Society, and fellow clubfoot mom. Dawn and I connected awhile back about our mutual passion for spreading clubfoot awareness, and her story is so inspiring that I had to share it with all of you listening. Dawn has a wealth of medical knowledge, as she has been a nurse for many years, and personal experience dealing with mistreatment during casting and making the decision to change doctors for her son. In our conversation Dawn talks candidly about the red flags she noticed...

I am excited to share this episode because I talk about the incredibly surreal experience of trying my hand at casting a baby foot mold with Dr. John Herzenberg. I was attending the IPOS (International Pediatric Orthopedic Symposium) with MD Orthopaedics, and connected with Dr. Herzenberg, who offered to let me try casting. I give a little background about my relationship with Dr. Herzenberg prior to the event, and why I was attending with MDO. I talk about what it felt like to actually feel the plaster and the different wrapping techniques. I am very grateful to the great...

We are beginning the new year with a new season of "A Clubfoot Mom" podcast and the first episode features a conversation with Scott Reichenbach, President and Co-Founder of Hope Walks, a non-profit organization focused on providing clubfoot treatment in low-income countries around the world. We talk about everything from how the organization got started to their unique brace painting project. Scott also talks about the challenges clubfoot treatment faces in the global landscape and how the clubfoot community can address these issues on a larger scale. We talk about how one the key hurdles of clubfoot treatment is...

In this episode I open up about the one word that triggers me the most about my daughter's clubfoot treatment and diagnosis: pity. I read from the section of Clubfoot Chronicles that is all about this topic and I delve into why this particular word was so difficult for me. I talk about how I learned to deal with other's peoples pity and not take it on personally, while still acknowledging it as a trigger for me and allowing myself to process it accordingly. I hope you find this episode helpful on your journey with your cutie!

In this episode I have the opportunity to talk with a fellow clubfoot mom Rocky Berger about her journey with clubfoot treatment with her cutie. Rocky opens up about the challenges she faced during treatment and how they have coped with it all. We also discuss how Rocky learning about her son's clubfoot at birth, rather than in utero, impacted the way she processed the diagnosis and also approached treatment. Rocky wants to spread clubfoot awareness and talks about the different ways she is doing this within her community. I loved talking everything clubfoot with Rocky and really appreciated...

In this episode I talk all about how overwhelming the clubfoot treatment journey was for me at times and how much it impacted my emotional landscape. I talk about how much responsibility I felt as I transitioned to being a stay at home mom to care for my cutie and my older kids full time, and how the clubfoot treatment also added to my feelings of being overwhelmed. I talk about how important it is to acknowledge your experience and how writing the book became a way to process my emotions about clubfoot and motherhood in general. This episode...

In this episode I get the chance to speak with Betsy Miller, Author of The Parents' Guide to Clubfoot and co-author of Hip, Hop, Hooray for Brooklyn. Betsy shares how she became involved in the clubfoot world and her unique perspective about clubfoot treatment as author and not a direct clubfoot parent. We talk about her upcoming project, Beyond Boots and Bar, a guided journal for clubfoot parents to capture their clubfoot treatment journey experiences and memories. My opportunity to talk with Betsy was a big deal for me as her book was the first clubfoot resource I used...

In this episode I talk all about the unexpected challenges we faced the gradually decreasing BnB schedule. While we were so excited for our cutie to be out of 23-hour wear, we struggled with trying to figure out when she needed to have her BnB on. I searched and searched for information or examples of how other parents managed it, but didnt come up with very much. Which lead me to dedicating a whole chapter of my book to this topic alone. So if you are like me and struggled to figure out the new schedule while managing all...

In this episode I get the chance to talk with co-founder of the non-profit organization Clubfoot C.A.R.E.S., Nicole Byternowicz. Her organization is a US based advocacy group that is focused on promoting clubfoot awareness and the Ponseti method of treatment, through education and empowerment. I was personally so excited to meet with her because their website was one of the main resources I used as a clubfoot parent and one of the places I frequently referenced in my book. Nicole is the mom of a clubfoot cutie and we talk all about her son's treatment...

I am thrilled to share this episode with you because it features another clubfoot mom and clubfoot children's book author, Damaris Gibson. She is the author of Pete's Neat Feet, a children's book about her son and his clubfoot treatment. I really loved this conversation because Damaris speaks authentically about not just the logistical aspects of clubfoot treatment but the emotional impacts as well. You all know how much I enjoy talking about the emotional process of clubfoot treatment. I really appreciate her willingness to tell her story and her encouragement for other clubfoot parents to share their stories...

In this short and sweet episode, I talk all about our clubfoot cutie's walking. This is such a special and complicated topic for clubfoot parents. It is so exciting to see start to walk, but it also can be a constant examination of how they are moving in the world. I recorded this podcast in part because of the looming question that clubfoot parents tend to have about whether or not their child will walk normally. I talk about our experience with our cutie and what we have see in her clubfoot walking journey.

In this episode I get real about our cutie's transition from casts to 23 hour BnB wear. I talk about it all, the exhaustion, the constant stress, and the joyful moments we experienced as well. This episode is about our experience and the emotional toll it took on all of us. If your cutie is struggling to adjust to the BnB, then this episode will is to show you that you are not alone in the struggle.

In this episode I get real about my complicated feelings watching my clubfoot cutie grow and explore all things physical. I open up about my fear of her hurting her hard earned corrected feet by trying to keep up with her older two sisters, but also about the immense pride I have when watching her face new challenges. I talk about a very real conversation I had with her physical therapist about how my fear could be holding her back and how I continue to work through that fear daily as she grows stronger and more adventurous every day...

This episode features a conversation with sleep consultant, Lindsay Loring from Tweetdreamzz Sleep Consulting. Lindsay is a certified sleep consultant who has twin daughters, one of whom was born with clubfoot. We discuss all things clubfoot sleep related, from specific sleep challenges that clubfoot cuties face to different products that Lindsay recommends. We talk about the different sleep struggles we each faced with our cuties, my personal emotional journey with clubfoot and how that impacted my daughter's sleep, and how having twins, where only one has clubfoot, impacted her journey. I really enjoyed speaking with Lindsay and hope that...

On this episode I discuss how we handled the questions and awkward looks from strangers during our cutie's clubfoot treatment. I read a section from my book, Clubfoot Chronicles, where I talk about what we said when people asked questions and how I wish I would have responded now that I am looking back. I also dive into the comments and questions that were the most triggering for me and how they had an impact on my emotional clubfoot journey. Hope you find it helpful! I would love to hear from you all about how you handle the questions...

This episode is extra special because it features two of my very favorite clubfoot moms, Gina and Megan. We all met before our cutie's were born, and have continued down the clubfoot treatment journey since then. We discuss our different experiences with the same doctor, and how we all navigated different casting treatment outcomes. and the transition to seeing a new doctor. Megan and Gina open up about their individual experiences with their clubfoot cuties and how we all have supported each along the way. I hope you all enjoy this episode as much ad I enjoyed having this...

In this episode I discuss the release of my book Clubfoot Chronicles: Tips for Helping your Clubfoot Cutie During Treatment. I talk about what propelled me to write the book, the timeline of when I wrote it, and my overall intention for the book. The book will be available in June 2021. I am excited for you all to have a peak into my book writing process and to share my story with you all.

This episode discusses the function of the heel window in the Mitchell Ponseti AFO boot. I discuss the misinformation that I had going into the transition to BnB and how that created stress and confusion on my part.

This is a special episode because I interview my husband about his experience being A Clubfoot Dad. He openly discusses his journey through clubfoot treatment from initial diagnosis to how he currently challenges our daughter physically. We discuss how our roles and experiences differ from each other and the impact clubfoot treatment has had on our marriage. This episode is longer than the others, but wanted to give the full picture of a dad's experience, and I hope that you enjoy is as much as I did!

This episode discusses different opportunities you will have to advocate for your clubfoot cutie along their treatment journey. I open up about my own journey learning to advocate for my cutie, and talk about how advocating can look different for each person.

This episode focuses on that first week that your cutie transitions from serial casting to Boots and Bar (BnB). I discuss that challenges we faced, give recommendations on what to ask during the transition doctor's appointment, and talk about what I wish I would have done differently.

On this episode I talk about my challenges in finding a support system during my cuties treatment journey. I discuss where I found support and the types of support that might be helpful for you as well.

This episode provides a brief overview of the Boots and Bar bracing device. It discusses the different types of boots available, and the different bar, the bracing schedule, and the reason the BnB is vital for your child's successful clubfoot treatment.

This episode highlights clubfoot resources for parents to utilize on their child's treatment journey. It mentions books, Facebook groups, and websites that we found useful on our clubfoot journey.

This episode focuses on the potential issues that parents can watch out for during the casting phase of Ponseti treatment for their clubfoot child. It will address the various issues that can come up and when you need to contact your medical team for assistance.