As World Clubfoot Day on June 3 is approaching, Comox Valley jeweller Rosie Harris released her latest design: a sterling silver necklace adorned with a small heart-shaped pendant showcasing two tiny footprints.
More than just a piece of jewelry, this creation holds significant importance to Harris.
“As a mother of a child undergoing clubfoot treatment, this design is very special to me,” said Harris. “I created the necklace to give back.”
The owner of the jewelry brand Joie Designs has committed to donating all retail profits from the sales of these neck-pieces to the Canadian Clubfoot Support Society. The organization aims to provide treatment for children born with clubfoot, ensuring they receive timely and efficient care.
Clubfoot is a congenital malformation that causes a newborn’s foot to turn inward and in severe cases, the foot can face upward. In 50 per cent of cases, this condition affects both feet. It is amongst the most common congenital malformations, affecting one in 1,000 infants.
Treatment for this condition requires the baby to wear a fitted brace that slowly repositions the foot in its correct position. This procedure takes several years to fully straighten out the affected limb.
Without appropriate and timely treatment, the deformity will remain and lead to severe pain, impairing one’s ability to walk and impacting the person’s quality of life.
The provincial healthcare system covers the initial part of clubfoot treatment. However, the remainder of the treatment that is required to fully correct the child’s feet is not covered.
“Initial surgeries, if required, and the serial casting for the first few months of treatment are covered by the government,” said Harris. “However, the boots and bars required to fully correct the child’s feet are not. These alone can cost up to $900.”
Moreover, a shortage of doctors who can provide the proper medical care, never-ending waiting lists, and expensive travelling fees to receive treatments can become a major source of anxiety for parents.
For these reasons, the Canadian Clubfoot Support Society provides parents with an alternative to the public system.
To know more about Harris’s initiative, visit joiedesigns.ca