Mayo Clinic defines clubfoot, as "the tissues connecting the muscles to the bone (tendons) are shorter than usual." This causes either one or both of the feet to be facing the wrong way, and the severity of how far they are turned varies from case to case. The cause is unknown, but it can be either passed down through genetics or environmental. This is a fairly common occurrence, and I was one of those babies to be born with it.

My case ended up being congenital, meaning both of my feet were affected. My treatment involved casts after casts to point them in the right direction followed by corrective surgery all within my first year of life. As I grew up, I also had physical therapy, annual trips to my orthopedic clinic, and another corrective surgery the summer after my freshman year of high school before finally being officially released the following winter. Thanks to modern technology, the problem was corrected and I was able to grow up and live my life walking, running, jumping, and skipping just like my peers. However, this doesn't mean I'm entirely off the hook.

My feet have and always will look different than everyone else's. Imagine the surprise of preschool-aged Abby when she realized not everyone had the long scars on her feet from surgery like she did. Shoe shopping has also proven to be a pain from time to time as a result of one foot being slightly bigger than the other, not being able to wear certain boots if they didn't stretch or have a zipper on the side, and only being able to wear flats or high heels no higher than a couple of inches (plus, the heel itself needs to be thicker the higher the heel is so I can actually be balanced) for school dances.

Of course, I've had my insecurities about their appearance, but I also need to be mindful of physical limitations. For example, I have to be aware of my feet when it comes to physical activity. I will probably never be able to be a ballerina who can stand on her tiptoes but had I ever wanted to dance in my childhood, I'm sure I would have found my own way.

I can't count how many times I've been asked why it looks like I limp when I walk. I still wear my post-surgery walking boot every now and again if I'm having pain that day. My orthopedic doctors have even warned me of possible trouble down the road for my feet if I ever become pregnant and/or carry too much weight on them.

While this is something that will affect me my entire life and I've dealt with physical and emotional obstacles as a result, my feet are a part of who I am and I'm not ashamed because of it. To all my fellow club-footers, I wish you the best in whatever stage you're in, and I'm proud of how far we've come because of it.