Laura's New Feet!

Laura was born with a genetic disorder called polydactyly and syndactyly. This disorder is when someone is born with with extra phalanges and webbings of the phalanges. Laura's two older brothers also were born with this disorder but their deformities were easily fixed with a couple of surgeries without further complications. Laura's deformities were not by the book by any means. She had two fingers that were nearly fused together that required 3 corrective surgeries at the age of 1, 3 and 11. The surgeon's kept correcting the finger due to a major scar contracture that stunted the growth and the function of her two fingers.  Because the bones were so close together, they nearly cut to the bone leaving Laura with nerve damage and a skin graft to make it work. Laura's feet, were always the biggest issue in her life.  She had a surgery on both feet at the ages of 2,3,6,11 and now with her most recent surgery at the age of 21. Laura was born with with 2 extra big toes, both of her feet were identical.  Her extra big toes were webbed with her 2nd and 3rd toe. The big toes had under developed metatarsals, meaning the normal bones that were supposed to connect to her big toes did not fully form. In fact,  they were in bits and pieces loosely moving all around the top of her foot. So basically her big toes each had a pebble of bone and otherwise flopped freely.  The surgeon's did their best to correct and save what they could.  After 3 corrective surgeries at the ages of 2 and 3, to try to save her big toes...they came to terms that the big toes were dysfunctional and useless. At age 6, they agreed to amputate the remaining big toes on each foot.  With this fragile case,  the doctor's had never seen anything in comparison to the complications therefore there was concerns if Laura could walk and balance on her own after recovery.   With many prayers and faith,  Laura was able to walk perfectly fine.  Although she does have balance issues to this day and falls over on a regular basis, she considers it a blessing in comparison to the alternative.  Laura's parents were warned that she would struggle with foot and joint pain at a younger age than expected. But no sooner did they predict that, did Laura suffer with chronic foot and joint pain from her earliest memories to this day.  Eventually, the extra toe fragments became unbearably painful due to the fragments rubbing other bones and jabbing the top of her foot when she walked. At age 11, those bones were clipped and shaved down.  Despite the severe pain and swelling in her  lower extremities Laura lived her life to the fullest.  She participated even if just for a year or two in dance class, tumbling, gymnastics, cheerleading,  softball,  volleyball, performing arts and exercised at the gym until her feet absolutely made it impossible at the age of 14. Laura had seen up to 10+ orthopedic doctors and specialists to do and try everything that she or doctors could to lessen or completely take away her pain.  Multiple shoe inserts, orthotics, physical therapy, weight loss, foot baths and several referrals to other doctor's failed Laura to say in the least.  Laura was so discouraged and felt as though she would just have to accept a life of pain.  So she moved on and made the best of her situation. Laura  began working on her feet at age 16 and worked like there was nothing wrong.  She learned to make fun of her feet and her balance because it was better than crying and feeling sorry for herself. 
Laura joined the medical field at age 18, as a Phlebotomist.  She absolutely loved working,  but her biggest struggle was coming home in agony.  She could not do anything after work, she had to ice and elevate her feet.  Laura cannot enjoy themeparks, concerts or shopping unless she is in a wheelchair. The glares from the public hold her back from doing such things because her pain is invisible and she felt judged.  At age 20, Laura was forced to seek a new orthopedic surgeon due to spontaneous fractures in her feet. She learned that she had been walking and working on one of the fractures probably for a year,  she was just used to the pain. She learned that her bones had shifted, bent, fractured and rubbed together over a short period of time which caused a lot of nerve damage.  All of her toes were bent,  dislocated and formed into hammer toe.  Her shoe size is 3 in kids due to the many surgeries stunting her foot growth.  Due to the knowledge and confidence of the new surgeon and Laura being desperate for help-- she agreed to a bilateral manipulation of her calf muscles to change the position of her feet.  She still went to work 4 days after each surgery due to minimal vacation time.  The surgeries did help the fractures heal, but the pain was still too much.  Laura knew something had to be done, in fear of matters getting worse and later on interfering with her life plans. Due to the complexity of her feet,  and the multiple consultations between Laura's surgeon and his trusted colleagues and mentors...there was only two options left: bilateral partial foot amputation or full bilateral foot reconstruction.  Knowing the recovery would be more extensive and exceedingly more painful with the reconstruction Laura still wanted to give her feet one last shot, she did not want to give up.  On April 1st, Laura's orthopedic surgeon performed surgery on her right foot.  He cut, shaved, and manipulated all of the metatarsals in her foot to correct the bending.  He installed pins through her metatarsals to keep them straight and fused them to the base. He put pins through her toes to straighten them as well.  Due to poor circulation in one of Laura's toes,  it almost died during surgery and was nearly amputated. He moved on quickly to cut a piece of bone to graft from her heel bone and he fused that bone to the remaineder of her big toe metatarsals and then fused that piece to her second and third metatarsals. By doing this,  it was to give her foot a makeshift big toe metatarsal that would be the support beam that she needs.  Unfortunately, he was unable to complete the reconstruction and could only complete half of the foot due to Laura's condition being such a challenge. Her surgeon will complete this surgery later on this year. Immediately in recovery, it was realized that the nerve block was completely ineffective for this surgery, Laura was supposed to be discharged home that same day. Laura was experiencing the worst pain of her life, she was beside herself in pain and refused to go home.  She immediately contacted her insurance and fought all day long to be rehabilitated. With lots of prayers and phone calls in her favor, she was notified 15 minutes before the surgery center closed that she was approved to be rehabilitated in a facility. Her left foot will be worked on in 8 months,  with the experience of the last surgery it has been assessed that the next foot will be completed in multiple surgeries. If both surgeries fail, Laura is trying to come to peace with the inevitable amputation to follow.  The success of the surgeries are so important to her!  
On top of the surgery, recovering, and pain, Laura was just informed this week that she was denied partial disability.  She is currently facing a 6 month to 1 year trial to receive help from social security.

To help Laura's medical expenses, necessities and future bills with her foot reconstructions ANY contribution would be welcomed and extremely appreciated.

Thank you for your support in any way possible and PLEASE SHARE this page to help Laura get new feet! God bless those who hearts are touched to pray or donate and change Laura's life! 

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