A Clubfoot Mom
Feeling overwhelmed with your cutie’s clubfoot diagnosis? Is the BnB transition harder than you thought? Need some basic clubfoot treatment information? This is the podcast for you! I have been there, am still there, and discuss all topics clubfoot related. A mixture of short and sweet episodes and conversations with other clubfoot parents, medical professionals, and members of the clubfoot community, this is the only podcast dedicated to clubfoot available. My goal is to provide resources and information for everyone on the treatment journey.
I love the opportunity to talk with other clubfoot people, although it can be difficult to find a quiet time and place to record in the chaos of my household. Shout out to my talented brother, Conor Murphy, for all the high-tech editing I could never dream of doing.
Please reach out if you are interested in sharing your story or have a particular topic you would like hear about!
Want to hear about a particular clubfoot topic?
Want to be notified whenever a new episode is released? Sign up here!
Be sure to like, rate and subscribe to be notified of all the new podcasts
Listener Favorites
Erin Norton: Hearing the Clubfoot Diagnosis By Yourself
Erin Norton is an inspiring clubfoot mom who talks about her journey of finding out about her son's clubfoot diagnosis one day after her husband was deployed. She talks about how challenging it was to process the diagnosis without her main support person, how she handled the casting phase of treatment on her own, and how incredible it felt when her husband returned home just in time for the transition to BnB. It was incredible to talk with Erin and I know you will enjoy listening to her story.
Moments
You have probably noticed that I like to end my interview podcasts by asking about special moments people have experienced on the clubfoot journey. This episode is a deeper look into why I love to hear the answer to that question and how focusing on simple moments has helped me stay present and grateful in my life and my daughter's clubfoot treatment journey.
Lindsay Easley: A Clubfoot Mom
In this episode I speak with Lindsay Easley, a clubfoot mom who has faced many challenges with her cutie throughout treatment. Lindsay talks openly about the struggles and triumphs they have faced together. She talks about the reasons that lead her to switch treatment teams, and how a Child Life Specialist at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital provided her with a safe place to express her fears and develop the trust she needed in her daughter's medical treatment team. Lindsay is an amazing mother and I can't wait for you to hear her story.
Dr. Kenneth Noonan: Residual Deformity (Clubfoot Relapse)
Dr. Kenneth Noonan, Chief of Pediatric Orthopaedics at the American Family Children’s Hospital, discusses clubfoot relapse, and explains why he prefers the term residual deformity to relapse. Dr. Noonan explains why and how residual deformities occur, how he treats them, and if it is possible for parents to help prevent it. Dr. Noonan then answers questions that came specifically from the listeners about this topic, which is a first for the podcast. With my cutie recently turning four, relapse is always on my mind, and this episode was supremely helpful in my understanding and I am certain it will for you as well.
Support Group for Clubfoot Moms
I am excited to share this episode because it is something I have wanted to do from the moment my cutie was diagnosed with clubfoot, start a support group. In this episode I talk about why I wanted to start a group, why We Are Brave Together was the perfect organization to partner with, and what my hopes for the group are. I go into a bit of detail about the purpose of the group, to help create a safe place for clubfoot moms to find connection and support through shared experiences.
Dr. Derek Kelly: The In’s and Out’s of Clubfoot Diagnosis and Treatment
Dr. Derek Kelly, Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon at Campbell Clinic Orthopaedics, discusses all things clubfoot diagnosis and treatment on this episode. Dr. Kelly goes into great detail about the technical medical aspects of a a clubfoot diagnosis in a way that can be easily understood by parents. We discuss the ins and outs of how and why the Ponseti method of treatment work, and the historical information as to how it became the gold standard of clubfoot treatment. Dr. Kelly talks about the need to provide support for parents and how it important it is that parents reach out for help when they need it. This was an educational episode for me, and I know you will learn a lot of from Dr. Kelly. I am grateful for his time and for his passion for clubfoot cuties!
Chloe Howard: Clubfoot Warrior and Advocate
Chloe Howard is an author, speaker, clubfoot advocate, and Junior at Westmont College in CA and is the first guest to be on the podcast who was born with clubfoot. Chloe and I have an in depth conversation about what it was like for her growing up, the hate crime she experienced and preserved through, and how her parents supported her throughout her journey. Chole is the author of a memoir, Standing Beautiful, and a children's picture book by the same title, This has been one of my very favorite conversations to date and I know that you will be as moved by Chloe's journey as I have been. You will learn so much about how we can help support our children during their most difficult moments and how to help them embrace their differences. You can follow Chloe on Instagram @itschloehoward
Conversation with Danika Baskar, Future Orthopaedic Surgeon
In this episode, I have a conversation with Danika Baskar, a future Orthopaedic Surgeon, about her Research Fellowship at the Stanford Division of Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery under Dr. Steven Frick. Danika talks about the different research studies focused on congenital clubfoot during her fellowship and how the information from those studies can help clubfoot families in the future. One of those studies focuses on clubfoot within social media platforms, and I was surprised to learn just how large the online presence of clubfoot is today. We also discuss how Danika became passionate about clubfoot and where she sees clubfoot treatment going in the future. We recorded this episode before Danika matched in Orthopaedic Surgery, so a huge congratulations are in order for her. I am thrilled at the knowledge that she will be starting her Orthopaedic Surgery residency training in just a few months and can only hope she will be treating clubfoot in the future. If you would like to follow Danika on her journey, her Instagram account is @whitecoatbyday.
Product Recommendations for Clubfoot Cuties
In this episode I talk about the products that we have used and loved during our Cutie's clubfoot treatment. I polled the Instagram community about what they want to hear in the podcast and product recommendations was a top suggested topic, so here it is. I talk about different products we used during the different phases of treatment, casting, BnB transition, and sleep. I go into detail about why we loved these products and how we found them useful. Theses are simply recommendations, I am not affiliated with any of the products, just found them helpful on our journey. I will be posting various products, both links to the products and pics of our cutie using them, on Instagram throughout the week, so follow along if you want more information! Follow me @clubfootchroniclesmom
Conversation with Jill Harold, Clubfoot Mom, Author, and Advocate
In this episode I have the opportunity to speak with Jill Harold, a clubfoot mom, the co-author of the children's book Hip. Hop, Hooray for Brooklyn, and clubfoot advocate. Jill is an active and engaging member of the clubfoot community who was there at the beginning of the social media groups created for clubfoot support. Jill talks about her experience with her daughter, where she is now, and why she decided to write her book. I really enjoyed talking with Jill, she is so knowledgeable and passionate about clubfoot awareness and providing support to other clubfoot parents. I hope you enjoy this conversation.
Talking with My Cutie About her Clubfoot
In this episode I talk about how we have started to have the conversation with our cutie about her clubfoot. We have been waiting until she was developmentally ready and she started asking questions about it. Our cutie is almost 4 years old and while she knew that she had to wear her BnB every night, she never really understood why. One of my upcoming guests made me realize that she might be ready for more in depth answers to why she has to wear her BnB and see a special doctor for her feet. I talk about how we decided to start the conversation, what tools we used to help us explain in more detail, and the language we used. I then go on to talk about how our cutie has responded to our conversations and how she is now explaining her clubfoot diagnosis to others around her (including our dog). For the first time I will also be posting on my Instagram pictures that will correlate with this podcast, so if you are interested in more visual representations of how the conversation is going, please check out my IG account @clubfootchroniclesmom
My Approach to a New Diagnosis for My Cutie
In this episode I open up about a new diagnosis we have received for our clubfoot cutie, and how her clubfoot treatment journey has changed the way I have approached her new diagnosis. While I don't go into specifics about this new diagnosis, I talk about the impact her clubfoot diagnosis has changed the way I approach this new diagnosis. I talk about the different ways I researched the new diagnosis and it's treatment, to how I explain it to others, and how I have allowed myself more grace while I emotionally process the change this new diagnosis brings to our lives. It wasn't until we were faced with something entirely new to us again that I began to notice how much I have grown since her clubfoot diagnosis, and how this treatment journey has had a lasting impact on the way I interact with the medical world and how I allow myself time and space to process new changes.