Legs at last!!....

Hi,

I've just got to share this with you.

My Grandson was born about 7 months ago with severe club feet, and has spent his whole life in thick plaster casts up to his thighs, he was put on this new trial of treating his feet.

Starting out in Brighton, they treated him for a while, but it wasn't sucessful, so they've been going up to Manchester every week, which is where they poineered the system in England.

Kathy, my sons girlfriend has had to lug Ethan , pushchair, car seat and all the many items babys need for the day on the train from Brighton to Manchester, once sometimes twice a week, leaving at 8 in the morning and not getting homw until gone 9 at night .he's had two ops, and numerous plasters, which have had to be extremely thick because he smashes his legs down and breaks them!!..

this week they went for the last time to Manchester, because he's now on enough to be fitted with his boots and bars.Might not seem much, but a milestone for all of us.It seems strange to see his legs...

they've not been able to bath him, play with him in the water, do all the things you don't think about, even his clothes have been awkward.

It's good to see them on the last stretch now.

His Dad, my son , is a keen snow boarder, looks like Ethan might be training to join him!!..

another view of ethan and boots

pic of his casts towards the end of his treatment

ethan with Daddy and Aunty Charmaine

Oh Sue that's wonderful news.
Sorry I've only just found this thread
What a great little fellow. Yes, practicing for the snowboarding LOL, your son's got competition.
I do hope all goes well and he will be able to walk before you know it Amazing what they can do.....wonderful!

That is wonderful news Sue. There'll be no stopping him soon.

Best Wishes
Pat

Cheers guys, i was just so excited when he got his boots, that stage seemed a long time coming, especially when it all went wrong to start with, so they virtually had to begin treatment again.

my son, Ethans Dad , was born with club feet too, though they say it's not hereditory...I remember well hours of physio, him having to wear the boots(a bit heavier and clumpier than these new ones )Comments from people in the street asking what he'd done etc?....

Apparently he can now roll over with them, but they make it impossible for him to crawl,but knowing Ethan he'll find some other way to get around.

Can't wait to get my hands on him again for cuddles...

LOL nothing like it Sue :)

That's great news and Ethan looks really chuffed with his new boots too :)

What a beautiful little boy Ethan is and he has gone through so much in his life already! Will he be able to eventually walk when he gets out of the boots?

Hopefully he will, things look good so far. We're hoping to find us a French gites for a large family holiday next year, take all the kids and Grandkids on holiday, which should be great, and I'm sure by then he'll be running us off our feet.

I do hope he will be sue, I'd love to see that :)

It would be so great to meet you!

Philomel, I don't know France too well, in fact not at all.....so we don't even know where to begin to look.

My sister suggest Brittany, as it's not too fat to travel with little ones in the car, and she said that the beaches there are lovely.

my youngest wants a swimming pool...the others want places near by to go to eat out...I love the sea...where do I begin?...

What a wonderful story. I'm sure your grandson will be running with the best of them in no time. It is a long way from the years of casts I wore as an infant and child back in the late 1940's. Thank God for improvements in medical science. God Bless your family.

With small children to transport the north is closer if you are planning to travel by car.
There are cheap flights to the south if you decide to fly and hire a car

Have a friend here at the moment, but will dmail you when I have a minute :)

Thanks Rose,i've heard some real horror stories since of the way they used to treat it, yep, things ahve thankfully come a long way , in lots of treatments.

Thanks Phlomel, we'll use cars, and most of the ferry ports are near us here on the south coast, what we're after is nice safe beaches for little ones.Guess I should have listened in Geography...I'm checking out the maps now, but that can't give you an indication of what the beaches are actually like.