Congratulations to Lisa, the designer of our 2021 Hip Dysplasia Awareness Month and Day of Movement tee shirt. Lisa created her “Hip Love” design during her daughter, Maisie’s, naptimes. She shares how her design celebrates the love and community she and her family found as they navigated Maisie’s hip dysplasia diagnosis and treatment.
By Lisa:
Our hip journey began on the 13th August 2020, when our little Maisie was attempting to enter the world 5 weeks early and breech. After an emergency Caesarean, we were warned that she was at high risk of Developmental Hip Dysplasia and that this would be checked once she was 6 weeks old.
Following numerous appointments, scans and waiting to see if her hips improved on their own, we were told in December just before she was 4 months old, that she did indeed have DDH of the left hip and needed treatment now. Here in the UK our NHS are remarkable and they too are honoured in my design, however she was fitted with a Pavlik harness to be worn 24 hours a day there and then, and off we were sent. A million questions went through my head- can she fit in the car seat? What will she wear in this cold weather? What if she poos on the harness? Is she going to be clean enough with just wet wipes? But there was no guidebook, just the message not to take it off nor to restrict it in any way.
Weeks passed and as I saw much smaller babies with their harnesses in the clinic, we were told that due to Maisie’s age it would take much longer and that the chances of it working were getting slimmer. We could now bathe her for 30 minutes a day, but more questions filled my head. She was 6 months old, how would we wean her if she couldn’t sit in a high chair? The lovely doctors and nurses had the medical knowledge but not the day-to-day information I longed for! But here’s the thing… we weren’t alone in our journey.
This design pays tribute to our amazingly wonderful family and friends, the phenomenally useful International Hip Dysplasia Institute website, charities like yourselves at Miles4Hips for all the incredible work you do and the bloggers who take time out of their days to share their own stories. Without these people we wouldn’t have been showered with love, beautiful handmade clothing that fit her legs properly, support, knowledge and tips for getting by. We’ll never forget how happy Maisie was sitting up in her adapted Bumbo chair and this was all thanks to a kind Mom who’d shared her journey. Because of her, Maisie could be messy with paint and begin to eat solids all with her harness on!
Fast forward to the end of March 2021, after 4 months of harness wearing and the beginning of the discussion around surgery, Maisie’s hips were finally considered normal and the harness was no more! As she now starts to do things like rolling over and sitting up a little later than expected, we remain hopeful that her hips will still be fine when she has her checkup X-ray at 12 months.
We are so lucky to have the smiliest, chattiest little lady and are so thankful her DDH was treated early in her life. My design is for the amazing people who were part of Maisie’s hip story, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts and love you all!