Since becoming a mom, I’m all about helping other moms. It’s one of the biggest reasons I started this blog. I’ve always loved helping people, even if I get nothing in return.
And I’m sure that’s exactly what this other mama was trying to do, too.
Monday, July 13th, was Milo’s final cast after surgery.
He was finally free!
Well… until Thursday, when we were supposed to start bracing.
I remember being so excited to get his cast off. As soon as we got home, I posted a video of Milo splashing in the bathtub. He has always loved baths, and after weeks of casts, it felt like such a little victory. Everyone was celebrating with us.
But after our doctor’s appointment, I wasn’t celebrating.
I was upset.
I texted my mom and sister in our group chat and told them how disappointed I was. The doctor said Milo would probably need another surgery, and I felt like he was very short with us, which wasn’t like him at all.
I even texted them,
“His poor leg looks so lopsided and swollen.”
Looking back now, I think that was my mom instinct trying to tell me something wasn’t right.
But we had just gotten home from a short trip, I was exhausted, and I convinced myself I was probably just overthinking everything.
So I tried to stay positive.
I posted a picture of Milo’s foot, celebrating that he was finally cast-free.
Little did I know…
That one picture would begin a whole new chapter in our lives.
And looking back, I truly believe posting my son’s foot on social media saved him from a lot of pain.
Not long after I posted it, I received a message from a mom who didn’t even follow me.
She told me that my videos had been showing up on her feed, and after seeing Milo’s foot in the bath, she was concerned that his foot might be becoming complex.
Then, after I shared another picture on my story, it confirmed her concerns even more.
She explained that her son was also born with clubfoot. While her son didn’t have a complex foot, she was part of a clubfoot support group where many parents had shared signs that their children’s feet had become complex after problems with casting, including casts slipping off.
She also told me something that has stuck with me ever since.
She said that slipped casts are never the baby’s fault.
She made it very clear that she wasn’t trying to overstep. She simply wanted me to be aware in case something wasn’t right.
At first…
I was in complete denial.
Let’s be honest, people on the internet can be crazy.
But after messaging back and forth with her, she showed me pictures of her son’s corrected foot and what it should have looked like.
She also shared helpful websites explaining signs of a complex clubfoot and invited me to join the clubfoot support group.
That day, I spent hours researching.
I posted pictures in the support group and asked other parents what they thought.
The responses were overwhelming.
Many parents shared the same concern and encouraged me not to return to our current doctor.
Reading those comments was terrifying.
We were supposed to start bracing the very next day.
Many parents also shared that if Milo’s foot truly was becoming complex, bracing could be very painful until his foot was corrected.
At the time, we didn’t even have the money for his braces.
We had been praying that somehow we’d be able to afford them.
Looking back now…
I can’t help but wonder if God hadn’t provided the money yet because it simply wasn’t time.
You can only imagine how overwhelmed I felt.
One complete stranger on the internet had completely changed the direction of our journey.
The hurt behind all of this was unreal.
I’ve shared many times that I don’t naturally trust doctors.
When we found this doctor, I truly believed we had found someone we could trust.
Realizing something still might not be right was heartbreaking.
Of course, Caleb was at work and didn’t have access to his phone.
I felt like I had to make a decision that felt far too big for me to make on my own.
So I decided to message our doctor and ask for his thoughts.
He told us that Milo’s foot had always been very tight and that he wanted to move forward with bracing to see how his foot responded, while also explaining that Milo might need additional surgery as he got older.
His response didn’t bring me the peace I was hoping for.
So I told him we would be seeking another opinion.
I never imagined that would be our goodbye.
One of the hardest parts of all of this is that we’re still responsible for paying the medical bills.
At the time of writing this, we have around $4,000 in medical bills while also trying to navigate what comes next for Milo.
Right now, we’re waiting for our appointment at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta with a doctor who came highly recommended by so many parents in the clubfoot support group.
As I write this, we have 21 days until that appointment.
I’m praying every single day that we’re making the right decision for our little boy.
One thing I know for sure…
I’ll forever be grateful for one mom who took the time to help another mom.
Her message changed the course of our journey, and I’ll never forget her kindness.
Thank you for following along with our story, praying for Milo, and encouraging our family through every step of this journey.
We’ll continue to share updates as we learn more.
Please continue praying for our sweet boy. 🤍
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