Inspired by a mother’s gratitude after her own son’s successful treatment 21 years ago in the US, STEPS has since brought that same life-changing clubfoot care to thousands of South African children, giving them the freedom to walk, run, and play without limits.
South Africa (20 July 2026) – It has been 21 incredible years since the founder of STEPS Clubfoot care turned her gratitude into a personally inspired mission that is changing young lives every day.
It all started in 2003 with the birth of a boy with clubfoot in South Africa. After her son’s successful treatment by Dr Ponseti in Iowa, Karen Mara Moss returned home and told the story to local doctors. Karen founded STEPS in 2005 to introduce and promote the Ponseti Method of clubfoot treatment in southern Africa and to support families undergoing treatment.
Championed and supported by incredible doctors, healthcare providers and institutions, STEPS has come of age and is celebrating 21 years of helping children born with clubfoot access treatment, support, and brighter futures.
The organisation’s work has grown year after year, but its purpose remains the same: ensuring every child has the opportunity to walk, run, and play without limits.
This life-changing work is evident in countless testimonies from little people whose journeys began in casts and with concerned parents, and have since moved towards movement and restored hope.
Take Lubanzi’s journey. Born with bilateral clubfoot, he and his family faced an unexpected path. Treatment began when he was just 10 days old, and with the support of the Chris Hani Baragwanath Clubfoot Clinic and the STEPS team, they stayed the course together.
Today, at seven years old, Lubanzi has graduated from treatment. He’s been out of braces for two years and is doing what every child should be able to do: running, playing football, and enjoying childhood!
It’s a joy expressed in his mother’s gratitude:
“I am so grateful to the Baragwanath and STEPS team for this wonderful journey. Seeing my son thriving means everything to me,” shared Nonhlanhla.
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Football and Water Slides Jumping Kids Enjoy a Day to RememberSimilarly, three-year-old Iphemna was born with bilateral clubfoot and started treatment as a baby in the Eastern Cape. Her feet responded well to casting, but after changes in family circumstances and gaps in treatment, her clubfoot gradually returned. However, she and her mother were welcomed with open arms at Tygerberg Clubfoot Clinic earlier this year when they returned to restart treatment.
“I felt so welcomed and hopeful for my daughter’s future,” her mother shared.
“The staff reassured me it is not too late.”
STEPS assures that at its partner clinics, families are always welcomed with understanding and support, no matter where they are in their journey.
These children’s journeys are just two of the thousands, and prove that clubfoot is treatable, recurrence can be managed, and with early intervention, committed families, and the right support, children can thrive.
This is what STEPS has made possible for 21 years, and it has no plans of slowing down. To learn more about clubfoot care and where to access treatment, visit STEPS’ website or Facebook page. Alternatively, you can call 021 462 7357 or email [email protected]
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