Watching energetic five-year-old Nya run, jump and dance along with her friends, you would never have known she was born with clubfoot.
Clubfoot, also known as talipes equinovarus, is a foot condition present at birth, where the tendons in the foot are shorter than usual, causing the foot to twist inward and down.
Nya’s mum Krystle said she remembered feeling very worried, shocked and scared when doctors informed about her daughter’s condition.
‘I didn’t even know what the word talipes meant!’ she said.
At just one day old, Nya and Krystle met with Clubfoot Clinic physiotherapist Lauren to discuss the process of treatment to correct Nya’s foot.
‘Lauren answered all my questions, and we discussed the Ponseti method of treatment,’ Krystle said.
‘Lauren has been one of our physios for the entire 5 years of her treatment.
‘It’s been a long process and not without its challenges, but we’ve been incredibly fortunate.’
The Ponseti method form of treatment meant Nya would spend her first few months in a series of casts.
This was followed by a tenotomy, a procedure in which her Achillies tendon was cut at 8 weeks old to achieve full correction.
After the tendon had fully healed, Nya upgraded to her boots and bar.
‘Initially, she wore these for 23 hours a day for the first three months, then progressed to 16 hours a day for a further three months, until she only had to wear them overnight until her 5th birthday,’ Krystle said.
Nya has now officially graduated from the Clubfoot Clinic and started school this year. She has even taken up dancing and cheerleading classes.
‘There is nothing she can’t do! She keeps up with all the other children, with nothing holding her back!’ Krystle said.
‘The staff at Cairns Hospital Clubfoot Clinic have been nothing short of amazing.
‘Their knowledge and expertise provided with us with excellent support over the 5 years and made our journey easy.
‘We are so lucky to have this service here in Cairns.’
Read more about Clubfoot.