Michaela's Story
i have club feetI was born with both of my feet pointing inwards and had an immediate surgery when I was only 8 weeks old. I definitely did not live a normal childhood because I was trapped inside casts and braces. Before my first surgery, I was in a Pavlik harness to treat my hip displasia, which forced me to learn to crawl at a later age than most babies. By the time I got out of that and learned to crawl, it was time for surgery on my feet. I was then in casts that just motivated me even more to crawl all over the place. By the age of 5, my feet began pointing in once more like a severe case of being "Pigeon-Toed". So, my parents ran me back to my foot doctor and they scheduled another surgery. I spent the last two months of pre-school, all of summer, and a couple weeks into kindergarten in a wheel chair with casts on both legs up to my mid-thighs. I had to sit and watch my family swim in our lake all summer while I sat on the dock in my wheelchair. When I was finally freed from my casts and wheelchair, my legs were as skinny as my arms (and I'm a very skinny person). I had virtually no calves and could not walk on my own for about a month because my legs had no muscle mass. Being the determined kid I was, I did all I could to practice walking by grabbing onto the coffee table on one side and the couch on the other to help me along. I would walk back and forth like that until I grew tired, then I would heave myself onto the couch and rest. My arms grew stronger and stronger because my legs weren't doing much for me. Soon, I was able to walk longer and longer distances without collapsing. The stroller was always my enemy until my feet ached so much I cried; then the stroller was my mocking "I told you so" best friend. In Washington, the Puyallup Fair comes every year in the fall and is like most fairs with all the rides, good food, and petting zoos. Unfortunately, when my first grade class took a field trip there, I had to pass because my parents knew I could not walk around all day with my sensitive feet. Well, over the years, my feet have become a little less sensitive, but I still cannot be on my feet all day. Currently I play on a premiere soccer team all year round and a select fastpitch softball team that is also year round. Basically at the end of the day I want to cry in agony because the pain is so great. My doctor tells me that I will probably have severe arthiritis by the age of 30, so I'm trying to have as much fun as I can while I can still stand. I hope this story was enjoyable to read because my birth defects have been a huge impact on my life and I have inspired many people around me.
Added on 31 Mar 2009