In a world where a life-changing intervention can mean the difference between mobility and limitation, STEPS Clubfoot Care celebrates two decades of impactful service this Tuesday, 3 June 2025, coinciding with World Clubfoot Day. Since its inception, STEPS has touched the lives of over 12,000 children across South Africa, empowering families and redefining futures through the power of early intervention.
Clubfoot, a congenital condition that affects the positioning of a baby’s foot, twists it downward and inward, making treatment paramount for the child’s future mobility. Every year, at least 2,000 newborns in South Africa are diagnosed with this condition, yet it remains entirely treatable thanks to the Ponseti Method—a non-invasive approach that realigns the foot and provides pain-free mobility for 95% of its patients.
Born from a mother’s determination to overcome fear and uncertainty, STEPS was founded by Karen Moss in response to her son’s clubfoot diagnosis. Struggling with limited treatment options at the time, she discovered the Ponseti Method during a visit to Dr. Ignaçio Ponseti in Iowa, USA. This experience ignited a commitment to ensure no parent in South Africa need to face clubfoot alone.
“No parent should ever feel hopeless after a clubfoot diagnosis,” Karen reflected. “I wanted to build a local network equipped with the guidance necessary to deliver expert care and tangible results. This commitment still drives STEPS today.”
As Southern Africa’s only dedicated organisation for clubfoot treatment, STEPS has established a robust network of 48 partner clinics across all provinces, a monumental increase from just a handful in its early days. Healthcare professionals numbering over 2,000 have been trained, ensuring that the message of early diagnosis and treatment resonates on a national level.
Beyond statistics, STEPS has powerful stories woven into its tapestry of triumphs.
For mom Moreblessing Hurungo, from Mfuleni who gave birth on 23 May 2025, the help received for baby Tanashe is not only a blessing, but also a life changer.
“When my child was born, I was very very worried, it was not straight, I didnt know his feet can be fixed, thought he’d live like this forever, I didnt expect this.
“Now with his feet, the baby will be able to do everything a normal child can do. I am so happy, he will be fine.”
Axolile Madolo from the Eastern Cape who faced the harrowing news that her newborn son, Musa, had bilateral clubfoot.
“A wave of fear came over me, the anxiety and thought, of ‘what did I do wrong?‘
“I didn’t know what clubfoot was or where to go,” she recalled. But support from STEPS transformed her anxiety into action. Today, 18-month-old Musa is thriving, confidently taking his first steps and enjoying life alongside his siblings.
The Hartnicks faced a similar ordeal when their daughter, Kendall, was born with the condition. “We were clueless about what to do,” admitted her father, Lorenzo.
At Tygerberg Hospital’s Clubfoot Clinic, the family found a clear treatment path that included casting and bracing. Now, following a successful recovery, two-and-a-half-year-old Kendall runs and plays like any other child, testament to STEPS’ dedication and the committed healthcare professionals within its reach.
The sustainable, collaborative model that STEPS has developed with state health institutions and the South African Paediatric Orthopaedic Society continues to shift the narrative of clubfoot care in the region. Notably, in 2025 alone, seven new partner clinics were added, reinforcing an impressive 700% growth since 2015.
Significantly, STEPS has partnered with leading hospitals like Tygerberg and Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital in the Western Cape and Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Gauteng to enhance care delivery and to ensure children complete the full clubfoot correction process. This collaboration has notably reduced the number of families who abandon treatment midway due to logistical or financial hurdles.
“Awareness can lead to early treatment and full mobility,” said Dr. Marí Thiart, a paediatric orthopaedic surgeon at Tygerberg Hospital, emphasising the vital role of informed caregiving in tackling this common condition.
In a significant move to further bolster support for families on the clubfoot journey, Moss is also launching a book entitled First Steps, which seeks to provide guidance and encouragement to parents from the moment of diagnosis. “Every child deserves the dignity of movement,” she asserted.
“With the right care and information, fear can turn into hope.”
Weekend Argus
