RAINBOW KAT CLUBFOOT AWARENESS

Official link to Rainbow Kat stickers

https://www.stickermule.com/gumballhead/item/18764598

Podcast With #RENNYTOK:

https://www.podbean.com/eas/pb-36itw-18a6b07

*Updates are posted at bottom of page. Scroll down for the journey

Rainbow Kat is the brainchild of #RENNYTOK. This is his fundraising site for upcoming and ongoing treatment for families to assist in offsetting costs of treatment. This page is the landing pad for Rainbow Khat and #RENNYTOK!

Often, families such as ours, face financial difficulties due to insurance, job loss, time off from work, additional necessities for the patient such as extra socks/shoes/durable medical equipment (wheelchairs, walkers, canes etc.) and medical co-pays.

Renny is a five year old boy born with extreme bilateral clubfoot. He created a vision of helping families who struggle with “footing” the bills and “kicking” the stigma associated with being born with clubfoot. It is our goal to create a network of people whom are interested in mutual support, financial opportunities, donations for necessities and assisting families with the co-pays associated with the cost incurred with clubfoot.

While most babies born with club feet are remedied before being able to crawl, some cases are so extreme that they have to wait until special tendons and bones grow in their body before they have surgeries.

This page is designed to bring awareness to families seeking information for clubfoot. As #RENNYTOK goes through this portion of his journey, we will share some of the information we as a family, he as a patient, and us as a community go through. The information contained herein is solely the experience of #RENNYTOK and his family.

Clubfoot Definition: A foot deformity where the baby’s foot is facing downward (equinus) and inward (adductus). The heel may be affectud and turned inward (varus) and the feet may have a high arch (cavus)

Some Key Aspects of Clubfoot: This is a simple to correct deformity, but comes with a lot of work and effort. While clubfoot “can” be corrected, it is not without discomfort and multiple visits to a team that specialized in the correction. Some of the treatments include casting, bracing and in some cases-surgery may be required. Clubfoot is typically diagnosed in utero with ultrasound, or may present at birth. If left untreated-clubfoot can cause discomfort and walking difficulties. It is crucial to capitalize on treatment early in life to avoid delays in healing, correction and social stigmatization.

TREATMENT:

• Ponseti Method: This method is the industry approach at remedy of clubfoot. This method is a series of casts placed on the infants foot to manipulate the bones, tendons and muscle at early stages to correct the deformity
• Bracing: After castings during the Ponseti Method, the patient is often required to wear braces to ensure the correct position is maintained. Bracing may occur for many years depending on the extend of correction
  • In infancy, this may required wearing braces for extended periods throughout the day, while sleeping or for shorter periods throughout the day. The duration of bracing depends on the treatment plan for each individual patient.
  • Bracing is often considered an alternative to corrective surgery and happens prior to crawling/walking in the patient
• Surgery: In severe cases, or cases that have gone untreated, surgery may be necessary. This often occurs in cases where there is extreme deformity, delay in correction or in some cases due to the extent of the clubfoot.
  • It is important to note that not all cases require surgery.

Community Resources:

Additional resources for Clubfoot are listed on the resources tab. There are also multiple groups on social media that may be able to accommodate your needs. Either way, it is important to the family and patient’s mental health to have a community of support to ensure adequate healing and long term connections can be made.

#RENNYTOK will be creating artwork for sale including stickers and apparel for the Clubfoot community in the near future to bring awareness and assist in family needs and will donate a majority of the proceeds to the organizations that will be listed in the resources tab.

Update Sept 6th 2025

We have had our first correctional casting pre-surgery for just over a week. This is designed to loosen up the tendons prior to the procedure he will be undergoing on the 18th. They casted 1 leg as it was the most severe and he goes in for both legs on Monday 9/10.

We have been preparing him for the surgery and we think its getting a bit more real for him. The casts are uncimfortable but he isnadjusting well. The GFM has raised $700 which is about $2800 short of our $3500 goal. Thank you to all who have donated and shared out the link. We appreciate it.

I (gbh) have recentlybreached out to Mia Hamm who also was born with clubfeet and anticipate reaching out to Leo Messi thisnevening when I have some downtime on the computer. Messi is #RENNYTOKS favorite soccer player and he wants us to message him.

Also, if you are interested in a Rainbow Kat sticker; they are available on the sticker mule website. They ship direct feom sticker muke and all proceeds will go toward the founding of the Rainbow Kat foundation once our GFM campaign is complete. Again, thank younfor everyones support and words of encouragement. He is good natured about all this and everything is going to be okay!