On Wednesday, Feni hosted a special awareness gathering called “Mugur Pa” for parents of children born with clubfoot. Overcoming social stigmas related to the congenital abnormality and the significance of medical consistency were the main topics of discussion during the event.
The “Parents Group Meetings” were held at the Alabox Specialized Physiotherapy Treatment Center in the town’s Temuhani neighborhood as part of the “Walk For Life” initiative. United Purpose, a non-governmental organization, carried out the project with funding from MiracleFeet.
Sumit Banik, Field Coordinator for United Purpose, served as the lead facilitator, while Ponseti practitioner and physiotherapist Md. Saifuddin Zulfiqar provided technical expertise during the session.
18 parents (12 Female and 6 Male) of nine children currently undergoing treatment shared their personal journeys. The discussion highlighted a sobering reality: without timely and proper intervention, many children face permanent disability, a challenge not just for the individual family, but for society at large.
Sumit Banik addressed the parents, saying, “A child’s fundamental right is to be able to walk normally. Parents are the most important catalysts in the process of correcting clubfoot. These kids will become valuable members of the country if you are patient, attend follow-up appointments, and make sure that corrective braces are used consistently. Putting a child’s future in jeopardy is the same as stopping therapy because of superstition or societal guilt.
The Ponseti Method’s technical details were explained by Md. Saifuddin Zulfiqar, who also cautioned that the chance of relapsing is much increased if one does not follow up after the casting phase. In order to dispel prevalent misconceptions about the illness, a special Q&A session was also conducted.
Advocate Jahangir Alam Nantu, Advisor to the Alabox Specialized Physiotherapy Treatment Centre, thanked MiracleFeet and United Purpose for their support. “While we hope every child here recovers fully, success depends on the parents’ sense of responsibility. You must also use your experience to act as ambassadors in your communities to root out deep-seated superstitions,” he urged.
The atmosphere turned emotional as parents opened up about their struggles. Many noted that financial constraints and a lack of support from extended family make the long-term treatment process difficult. Negative comments and societal judgment often lead to mental exhaustion and despair for the caregivers.
Mothers present noted how difficult it might be to maintain a child in corrective braces (special shoes) following the casting phase. Family members frequently discourage the parents from continuing when the youngster cries or fights the braces. Despite these obstacles, the parents urged society to adopt a more compassionate stance and stated their strong determination to adhere to medical protocol in order to secure their children’s health in the future.
A briefing on United Purpose’s continuing support services brought the conference to a close. For many years, the “Walk For Life” initiative has been trying to end clubfoot in Bangladesh by raising awareness and providing accessible, contemporary therapy.
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