Hidayatullah can now stand on his own two feet and play with the other children

Hidayatullah's clubfeet were treated at the centre and today he is ready to take his first steps.

Hidayatullah was born in Kandahar, Afghanistan, in 2021. He had clubfeet. At the hospital, his mother - who didn’t know anyone with this deformity in her family - was very worried. She told the doctors about her fears. Would her son be able to stand up? Would he be able to walk one day?

The doctors immediately referred Hidayatullah and his mother to Handicap International's rehabilitation centre in Kandahar, the only rehabilitation centre in southern Afghanistan and staffed by 52 specialists.

After examining the baby, the HI physiotherapists quickly reassured his mother that they could treat the malformations.

"The physiotherapist assured me that his feet would be normal after the right treatment," she tells us.

There were several stages to Hidayatullah’s treatment. First, his feet were put in casts. These casts were changed every week for several weeks to make gradual corrections and slowly straighten the position of his feet.

"This process went on for a while, but my son's feet were getting into the right position and shape, which gave me hope," continues Hidayatullah's mother.

HI’s teams then fitted Hidayatullah with an orthopaedic brace: small shoes with a bar attached. He wore his 'boots' for almost a year. They kept the club feet turned outwards. Throughout this period, the baby was monitored by HI’s teams. Checks and adjustments would be needed until he reached walking age.

Hidayatullah's treatment went smoothly. Today, he is standing up, ready to take his first steps – and his family is reassured.

"My son can now play with the other children normally. He can stand and walk with his own feet that are straight now. I hope he will be a good student at school," concludes his mother. "My whole family and I are happy now, and grateful for the services and staff at HI."