[Abdulina]

My son has clubfoot on left and missing leg on right. Clubfoot is ten times harder to deal w/ than the prosthetic. However, if you adopt them young w/ clubfoot, it does not seem to be as rough. They ususally cast them when they are infants. Our son was 6yo when we brought him home. Had one surgery previously in Serbia but that was it. He has been home 2 years and had 2 surgeries on it so far. He is now 8 and hates the way he can't walk or run. He's actually asked for another prosthetic instead of dealing w/ the clubfoot. We are told he'll have many more years of surgeries and it still will never be fully corrected. It's very limiting for him and he is rather an athletic kind of kid.

Now, I know many who've adopted little ones w/ clubfeet and have no trouble whatsoever. I can only give you my son's example. Whcih is an older child. He can not ride a bike, can not really run as he has no range of motion in the clubfoot. He relies on the prosthetic leg to do most of the work.

Good luck on whatever you decide. It is typically not such a complicated special need to deal w/ and has great success. Just my son was older and not the kind of care he needed in the beginning.

Take care,