Receiving an unexpected prenatal diagnosis doesn’t usually fall on that list.
At her 20-week ultrasound, Kendrie’s then-unborn baby, Theo, was diagnosed with clubfoot.
“Once my OB pointed it out to me you could clearly see that his feet were turned in,” Kendrie recalled.
Inward-facing feet are one of the main signs of clubfoot, a congenital condition in which one or both feet are turned inward and upward due to shortened and tight tissues (tendons) that connect leg muscles to the foot. While the diagnosis can be frightening for parents, in most cases treatment is very successful, and the foot or feet can be repositioned to a normal state.
But at the time, Kendrie had never even heard of the condition.
“I didn’t even have a strong reaction to the news in that moment because I had never heard about clubfoot before, I didn’t know what it was,” Kendrie said.
Instead, her mind started to wander, and she thought, "What does this mean for my baby? Is this just physical? Is there something else wrong?”
Even though clubfoot is a very treatable condition, a quick internet search usually reveals a range of worst-case scenarios.
“A lot of the images you see online are of kids who never got treated for clubfoot, which is sad but eye-opening,” Kendrie said. “It probably made me a little more anxious just to get him here and get it fixed.”
Shortly after he was born, Theo had his first appointment at the clubfoot clinic at Shriners Children’s Salt Lake City. During that initial appointment, the new family of three met with Joshua N. Speirs, M.D., a clubfoot specialist, who examined Theo and gave Kendrie what she had been waiting for: a game plan.
“It was the first time we had clarity,” Kendrie said. “Dr. Speirs was able to clearly explain to us what the next steps would be, what the casting process would be like, and really what the next four years would look like for us.”
In most cases, babies with clubfoot start a casting process just a week or two after birth, which slowly moves their feet into the correct position. But Theo was small when he was born, and his legs were a little too skinny for casts, so instead of leaving the appointment with his new kicks, Theo left with a prescription for cuddles.
“After Dr. Speirs saw Theo’s legs, he decided it would be best if we waited to start the casting process. He told us to just snuggle our baby without any casts on and come back in a month,” Kendrie said. “It was just so nice to hear that. We had been so anxious to get everything fixed fast and this made us realize that he was going to be fine, and we could just enjoy this time with him.”
What does this mean for my baby? Is this just physical? Is there something else wrong?
Before they knew it, three months had passed, and Theo had completed his six rounds of casting and moved on to boots and braces.
“Honestly for us, the first few weeks of Theo being in his boots was harder than the casts,” Kendrie said. “His skin just got really sore and was hurting him. But eventually, his skin healed up and got tougher, and we got really good at getting his boots on while distracting him.”
While learning the art of distraction, Kendrie was also learning how to navigate postpartum, learning how to run on no sleep, take care of her baby, and take care of herself.
“I don’t want to be negative at all, but it was hard, it was a lot, but it did go by fast,” Kendrie said. “And really because he was our first baby this was all I knew, so we were like 'OK this is our normal.'”
One thing Kendrie did to find relief during those first few months of motherhood was to make a day out of Theo’s appointments. Whether it was going on a family walk around a park, going to see the cherry blossoms at the Utah State Capitol nearby, or heading downtown to show Theo around the city, any kind of outing seemed to make those days brighter.
Kendrie also credits the atmosphere and level of care at Shriners Children’s Salt Lake City for making Theo’s care a positive experience for the whole family.
“We love how it doesn’t feel like a hospital here, it’s just cozier if that makes sense, it makes everything a lot less stressful,” Kendrie said. "Our doctors and nurses are also so great; Theo likes all of them. They are always happy and treat us more like family than regular patients. They’ve also been very honest with us too; we’ve never felt misled or anything like that, which is appreciated.”
Now that Theo only wears his boots at night, things have gotten much easier for the little family, and Kendrie has had some time to reflect on their experience. Overall, her main piece of advice for other parents of a child with clubfoot is to remember that it’s fixable.
“Try not to overthink and get ahead of yourself, just take it day by day,” Kendrie suggested. “There were times when I would get so overwhelmed thinking, ‘Well, what am I going to do when he’s at this stage?’ and things like that. But overall, it’s no big deal, Theo adjusted to everything really fast, and it’s just normal for us. It’s really not that bad.”
As new parents, worry tends to be a constant companion, and the ever-present fear of the unknown just comes with the territory. An unanticipated complication can add a new layer of complexity, but amidst the initial shock, parental determination along with an experienced care team can help face that challenge head-on together.
Kendrie’s last piece of advice? Take a bunch of pictures of your baby before the casting process starts! You will want to remember that time in their life.
Baby Theo looks pretty content after one of his casting appointments.
Theo's progression a few months into his treatment plan.
Theo at 3 months old rocking his boots!
Five-month-old Theo looks happy as can be.
