Baby Boy Born With Severe Club Foot

Hi there-

I see most of this has now been mentioned above but my son was also born with severe talipes of both feet, he is now two and in the boots and bar for sleeps only, his feet are perfect and he can easily walk and you would not know he ever had anything wrong. I think the "gump" comment referred to the look of the boots and bar when they are worn.

All families are eligible for the child disability allowance for at least two years which more than covers costs of travel and parking for appointments. All hospital bills should be free. Make sure you request your team provides the forms for this and you can be back paid for weeks of payments.

Also there is a NZ clubfoot/talipes facebook page which provides peer/community support for families for issues as they arise (https://www.facebook.com/groups/349043865116454).

It is overwhelming at first but soon it becomes quite a manageable part of your everyday life, and certainly should not be any financial burden with the health and welfare system we have in this country. All the best!

Sophie

Good Morning,

Congratulations on your new baby & welcome to the Club Feet family.

Have you applied for the Child Disability Allowance with Work & Income?

WINZ or MOH will also help you with additional costs (like petrol & parking for appointments).

But otherwise I'm a little confused, please don't take offense as it's not intended but your child's medical treatment is paid for by our government...?

Hello.

Congratulations on your wee boy. I too had to go through this only a year ago as my daughter also had severe talipes and is currently wearing her boots and bar at night time.

In addition to Sara's post, you should also receive support through the disability allowance for your son as well as the Ministry of Health's travel allowance to pay for your petrol and any accommodation costs if you need to stay close to a hospital. If you aren't receiving these, you are eligible and should follow this up in the near future.

Hi John,

Mum here of a 8 month old who was born at 29 weeks gestation and had severe bilateral talipes, I just wanted to inform you (as it looks as though you may have been misinformed) that treatment for talipes is completely free in NZ. This includes, casts, surgery, boots and bars in the ponsetti method (google them as they are completely different to forest gump, it may be less daunting if you see them).

Theres is also funding for travel to every appt and for parking too. We have just completed 12 weeks of casting, surgery and are now in braces until 5 with possible future surgeries and its not costed a cent. Hope this information helps and eases the concern that this is costly.

Hi John,

I completely understand your and your partner's heart ache. We found out ourselves at the 20 week scan our son had a severe club foot. We would like to offer our support to you both if you are interested in talking with other parents, or for us to share our journey. Our son is a very happy, active 21 yr old, and was an athlete.

Our son had multiple operations and follow-ups right through child-hood. All op's were fully funded and you can also apply for assistance through Crippled Children. The leg braces, boots etc are also fully funded, just speak with your practitioner. Please let us know if we can be of any assistance or just an ear for the tough times. There is a rainbow at the end and I am sure wit h today's advancement, your son will be up and running in a few years. Take care :-)

Hi John!

Congrats on your new baby!!! I had a baby with clubfeet and can tell you it all will be normal at some point. =)

Curious though to know the reason why you are paying for medical bills. Clubfeet is treated for free in NZ. Please speak with your GP to get the right referrals.

Good afternoon, John. I'm a reporter with stuff.co.nz. Congratulations on Phillip's birth. Would you be open to talking more about Phillip's club feet for a story? We would like to try and help with the Givealittle page. I look forward to your reply.