Where you live should never be a factor that determines one’s ability to walk. Thanks to a dedicated clinic team, a little girl named Lara was able to receive the advanced clubfoot care she required after experiencing devastating setbacks to her treatment due to living far from the clinic and issues of unreliable public transport.
Northern Cape, South Africa (16 October 2025) – In the heart of the Northern Cape, a little girl named Lara was born with clubfoot, a treatable condition that proved challenging to manage due to the long distance from the clinic that could provide her with the help she needed.
According to STEPS Clubfoot Care, Lara’s journey began at Dr Harry Surtie Hospital in Upington, where she started Ponseti method treatment at just six months old. Sadly, though, progress was slow, and her feet became so stiff that she was referred to an orthopaedic surgeon after six casting sessions.
Living over 50 kilometres away from the clinic, Lara’s family, like many families in the Northern Cape, faced long travel distances, unreliable public transport, and high transport costs, often needing to leave home the day before their appointment and stay overnight to reach the clinic on time. The strain of these challenges led to them missing appointments, setting Lara’s healing back.
Access to early, consistent treatment is essential to prevent long-term disability from clubfoot, but for many families in remote parts of South Africa, this access is limited by distance, cost, and unemployment.
When the clinic team followed up with the family, they were alarmed to find Lara walking on the sides of her feet. At two years and one month old, she had suffered a recurrence due to interrupted care.
Refusing to let Lara become a heartbreaking statistic, the team re-initiated treatment using accelerated Ponseti.
Lara and her mother were able to stay nearby for six weeks with family in Upington. The clinic team adjusted their approach to change Lara’s casts weekly instead of every two weeks, as is usual for older patients, allowing her to complete the casting phase effectively with minimal transport costs.
Today, Lara is walking comfortably and confidently, and her parents are overjoyed with her progress. She attends the clinic every three months for brace follow-up, supported by the dedicated team at Dr Harry Surtie Hospital.
“We live by the saying ‘rather earlier than later’. Travel and follow-up are major challenges for our patients, so we adapt. Accelerated Ponseti allows us to help children like Lara who might otherwise fall through the cracks,” says Maritza Richter, Senior Occupational Therapist at the clinic.
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Thanks to donor support, children like Lara are receiving life-changing care despite enormous logistical barriers, proving that where you are born should not determine whether you can walk.
Sources: STEPS Clubfoot Care
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