Rama is now 3 years old. He was one of the first children to be treated at LVDC for the condition of clubfoot.
Rama lives with his family in a rural area of Mara Region, Tanzania. There are very few support services available locally so Rama and his family are very fortunate to have the P&O facilities available at LVDC.
Rama’s mum got to know about our charity through an outreach programme whereby LVDC staff visit rural areas and set up information points. Many hundreds of people visit these when they occur. It is one of the areas of our work that we would like to expand.
After initial assessment, Rama and his mum visited the clinic at LVDC. He then went through a series of weekly casts on his feet and ankles, each one progressively straightening out his feet. He was then fitted with an abduction brace which is a special orthotic device consisting of two purpose made boots linked by an adjustable bar to hold the boots at the correct angle. These are worn 23 hours a day for approximately 3 months. Rama was then fitted with bespoke 3D printed orthosis and wore these for 2 years.
As you will see in the video below, Rama can now walk fairly normally. Considering that children who are born with clubfoot and are not treated generally live with a disability for the rest of their lives, this has an impact on their family, their schooling and their job prospects.
LVDC had a 17 year old student who was declined school education because of his clubfoot, and yet it is a straightforward condition to treat if it is caught early.
