Miracle Steps: Transforming Lives Through Clubfoot Treatment

When David Onah was born, the joy of his arrival was quickly overshadowed by concern. As his mother recalls, "When they undressed him and saw that his legs were not normal, as they were abnormally curved, and bent, they didn't want to tell me because they thought I would panic so they whispered among themselves. When I asked what the problem was, they told me it was nothing, but as I insisted, and they decided to tell me that his feet are not normal like other children's feet."

David's father reflects on the family's initial reaction: "We didn’t notice on the day of the delivery until the second day. Coming out of the theatre, he was all covered up, we only saw his face wrapped up in his new cloth, and we all rejoiced. It was the night when we had gone back home from the hospital to relax that my mum and my elder sister called my attention. It was a shocker for me, and we were apprehensive. I was particularly tense. I didn’t know what this meant, how to solve it, or if there was any way to go about it."

David's mother went through a period of intense self-reflection and worry. "I had a lot of thoughts. I was like, ‘So I have given birth to a disabled child. I’m going to hide my child from the public’. When neighbours come to see me, I will make sure I cover him properly so they don’t get to see his legs. I started asking myself, ‘did I sin? Was it a sin that I committed that made me give birth to a disabled child? Or did I not pray enough during the pregnancy? Was I not sensitive?’ Because we are Christians, I had to ask myself those spiritual questions. Was I not sensitive enough? I was like ‘maybe it was something I did that made me give birth to such a child because nobody in my lineage has this disability.’ "

Amidst their fears and uncertainty, the Onah family found hope through HANDS, in collaboration with MiracleFeet since 2021. David's mother remembers her relief upon attending the clinic for the first time. "The second week after birth, I was able to attend the clinic day because I was still trying to recover. When I went there, I saw some mothers with children like mine. At least I was a little bit relieved. While I was there, a mother showed me her daughter who had Clubfoot, and her feet were looking almost normal. I was like, ‘wow, this is a miracle, so my son’s feet can be this normal?’ She replied yes, that they will fix his feet."

The transformation in David's condition has been significant. "The improvement in his feet has been tremendous," his mother says with pride. "Now, at nine months old, he can stand on both feet and is trying to walk. He isn't fully walking yet, but he's making great progress. The people at Bingham Teaching Hospital are caring. They call us, and we call them when something is not right, and they give us attention."

Today, David is a vibrant and active baby. His journey from a newborn with a challenging diagnosis to a baby who stands and attempts his first steps is a testament to the power of medical intervention, community support, and unwavering parental love. Through the efforts of HANDS, Miraclefeet, and the dedicated medical staff, David's story is one of transformation and hope. For countless children born with Clubfoot, David's success story stands as a beacon of what is possible with the right support and care.