From clubfoot to beauty contest

How my dream came true

My name is Gliesa. I was often sad because I was born with clubfeet. This is a deformity. My feet were completely turned inward. All my life, I was stared at and shunned by others. From elementary school through seventh grade, I was bullied.

This made me very insecure. Everyone else had straight feet, only mine were not. I was hopeless. I told myself that I just had to accept it. By then I was already 17. My dream had always been to be able to walk normally, but my parents couldn’t afford the expensive operation.

But then something wonderful happened: CBNs aid organization Operation Blessing were at my school. There were so many children there that I didn’t think anyone would notice me. But suddenly they asked me if I wanted to walk normally. At first I was unsure, but my teachers encouraged me.

Then I had several operations and my feet were straightened. Now I enjoy my life. I can walk normally and am no longer teased – on the contrary, everyone is happy for me. This year, I even dared to take part in a beauty pageant. And you know what? I came second! I am so grateful that CBN made this impossible dream come true.

Stigma and treatment of clubfeet

In many regions of the world, people believe that parents are to blame if they have a sick child. They avoid them so as not to suffer the same fate. Affected children are often laughed at, shunned, and bullied. In Germany, birth defects like Gliesa’s are treated in the first years of life. In other countries, many people cannot afford surgery or treatment. If such malformations remain untreated, they can become a painful disability over the years. Some of those affected are even unable to go to school or work.

How you can help children like Gliesa