Support for Caleb's Surgery & Recovery

On August 28, 2020, my beautiful nephew, Caleb Breitman, was born with a very rare congenital limb deformity. Radiographs of his limb revealed significant angular deformities of his right leg. His official diagnosis is ‘Posteromedial Bowing of the Tibia.’ With this condition, Caleb has abnormal bending and internal rotation within his tibia and fibula, as well as a growing leg length discrepancy. Caleb’s parents, Kristin & Joe, were told that Caleb would likely need multiple surgeries in the future to correct his leg deformities.

Fast forward to today, Caleb is now two years old and facing the first of what will likely be two surgeries to correct the issues with his leg. Caleb currently has a 3 cm leg length difference, and while the angular deformity has significantly self-corrected, he continues to have a severe internal rotation of the limb. If left uncorrected, he will begin sustaining damage to his ankle and knee.

Due to the rare nature of his condition, the family must travel from their home in Hopewell Junction, NY, to Baltimore, MD (roughly a five-hour drive) to receive specialized care for Caleb. His surgery will be performed on January 10th at the International Center for Leg Lengthening, which is part of the Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics at Sinai Hospital. Caleb’s surgery will address both the rotation and length of his right leg. To correct the internal rotation, he will have an Osteotomy performed along with the placement of an external fixator, which he will have for approximately four months. Because he will have an “ex-fix” placed, they will also perform leg lengthening at this time.

After surgery, Caleb will require intensive physical therapy (3-5 days weekly, 1-2 hours each session) for four months, and likely for a short while after the ex-fix is removed. Rechecks are frequent, especially during the leg lengthening phase (the first 10-12 weeks), so there is the potential that the family may have to stay in Baltimore for 1-2 months following surgery. Once home, they will need to travel to Baltimore every 2-4 weeks for in-person rechecks. 

Caleb’s surgery and recovery will be long and difficult. Logistically, this will be a nightmare for Kristin & Joe, given the distance between their home and the hospital and the need to keep life as normal as possible at home for Caleb’s big sister, Ava. Circumstances will likely require the family to divide and conquer while Caleb remains in Baltimore, with one parent staying with Caleb and the other parent back home with Ava. They plan to switch places every couple of weeks, which will surely be hard on everyone.

And that brings us to the reason for our fundraising. Caleb's surgery and recovery will be a very long and challenging road for the family, with many costs not covered by insurance, including travel and lodging expenses and loss of income while away from home. We hope to decrease the financial burden on Kristin & Joe so they can focus on their family through Caleb’s recovery. Thank you so much for your prayers and support during this time. Every little bit helps, and the family is forever grateful for your generosity!