holly's Story
i have club feetmy name is holly i'm 22 years old and i have bilateral club feet, and i was also born with kidney disease(altho my kidneys are alot better now! i also had alot of hard times with it.. i was on tube feeds from the age of 2 till 5 or 6 years old but thanks to the iwk and my parents it is better). I've been having surgeries since i was born.i've had them almost every year to help correct the way i walk and make it alot less painfull. without the surgeries i don't know what i would be doing today! i am very thankfull for all my doctors work! altho it does become very stressful having surgeries all the time.. when u have club feet it is harder to keep up with other and u can't do all the other things that everyone else is doing.i've had many of those times! surgery is scary and it never gets any easyer no matter how old you are or how many times u have them!but what i've learned over the years is to never give up and never make excuses for your disability!. because you can always find ways around it. don't let anyone tell you that u can't do something. only you know weather u can do it or not! i know growing up i've showed many people just that!my parents were great and always stuck beside me through everything and i am very thankfull for that. my last surgery was 3 years ago which has been the longest i have ever gone without one.. they took my ankle out of my right foot, and i would have to say that was the best thing that ever happened .. i have alot less pain now in that foot. altho the surgery was not easy at all for me it took alot of work on my part! it took me 2 weeks to learn how to stand up again, and their was many times i wanted to give up! but i would have to say the hardest part of it was learning how to walk again!, i was in fisio for months and i learned slowly. it was painfull and very hard work. but now i look back and i can only think of how proud of myself i was! these surgeries made me a stronger person and who i am today! so when u have a disability or know someone who does don't feel bad for them,but encourage them to get out their and do things forthem selves! self pitty gets u know where! just remember that it won't always be easy and i will be hard work and sometimes painfull but the outcome is worth it! i want to thank the IWK AND my parents for helping me get through it! even tho i know i have many more surgeries to come all i can look forward to is how it will help me in the long run. i am now married and have a 3 year old son who has kidney disease,and is being treated at the iwk, thankfully his kidney disease is getting alot better. my husband also has a club foot and a below the knee amputation, he also went to the iwk, and had many surgeries like me and we are very glad to have each other and are thankfull for having such a great family and we love them very much!
Added on 04 Jan 2010