Club Foot

Club foot, or talipes equinovarus (TEV), is a congenital condition where one or both feet are turned inward and down. The prevalence is approximately 1 to 1.5 per 1,000 live births and 80% of cases reside in low-middle income nations that may lack resources to address this issue. In the United States or other countries where medical care is more accessible, this condition is treated when the child is an infant and they often do well as they age.

In developing nations though this is thought to be one of the most major causes of disability for children. Cultural and financial barriers frequently preclude early treatment of this condition there and these children are often excluded from school or the ability to work and are forced to walk on the sides of their feet or even crawl or use a wheel chair. The photo below shows one child in Africa our volunteers met who was not able to have these braces as a young child.

Hope To Walk has developed a club foot brace that is effective and costs significantly less than commercial club foot braces. We have trained our Honduran team members to manufacture these and they are then sold to Central American organizations and hospitals involved in caring for these children. These children often receive these braces at no cost from our partnering organizations. The revenue from this project helps fund our Honduran operation so it can become financially sustainable.