By Scott Reichenbach, President and Co-Founder
By the end of today, more than 470 kids will be born with clubfoot somewhere in the world – yes, here in the US too. Less than 25% will get treatment in low- and middle-income countries. These children will face a life of disability that may rob them of employment, community and education.
This happens 365 days of the year, year after year, decade after decade. The team at Hope Walks works tirelessly to care for these kids at no cost to their families, but also to raise awareness that this birth defect is very treatable for $500.
Today is a special day because it is World Clubfoot Day. June 3 was selected to honor the birthdate of Dr. Ignacio Ponseti, a Spanish-American doctor who developed the method of casts and braces to correct clubfoot in a minimally invasive way at a fraction of the cost of surgery.
Since 2006 with donor support, Hope Walks has enrolled nearly 145,000 kids into treatment potentially unlocking $17.4 billion in earning potential for these kids who likely would have no option but to beg on the streets.
While June 3 is just another day that will come and go for most of us, it is an incredibly special day for tens of thousands of parents whose child was born with clubfoot. It is a day that offers hope and freedom to those directly impacted by this potentially crippling condition. Please consider a gift today for clubfoot treatment, transform a life and a future and give this day special meaning.
Images from around the globe on World Clubfoot Day
