PEC means I'm not walking more than 4,000 steps a day. Foot Alignment Socks bring me relief, says Veronika Labaštová

She struggles with the orthopaedic defect pes equinovarus congenitus (PEC), and helps children with the same defect to live a normal life. Veronika Labaštová lives for the Achilleus association. She describes herself as an ordinary village girl. She doesn't have children, but treats every one of the kids in Achilleus as her own. What is life like with this diagnosis, what does it mean to work for the association and how do Foot Alignment Socks help Veronika?

The orthopaedic defect pes equinovarus congenitus (PEC)

Before we get on to the interview itself, let's first talk about the issues surrounding this diagnosis. Pes equinovarus congenitus (PEC) is the most common congenital orthopaedic defect. This defect is also known as "clubfoot" (formerly also called "horse foot") because of its similarity to a golf club. At birth the foot is turned sharply inwards, and if left untreated, a person with this diagnosis would be unable to walk. A child is born with this diagnosis every other day in the Czech Republic. Worldwide, 200,000 children are affected each year, only 20% of whom unfortunately are born in countries which offer treatment using the Ponseti method, which is effective and requires almost no surgery.

And now on to the interview.

Veronika, you're part of the Achilleus association. Tell us about that. What is your role there?

By a huge coincidence, I’ve been part of the association since 2015. I handle the administrative side of things, and am in charge of the centre that lends out splints for children who have outgrown theirs and are not yet entitled to more from the insurance company. Just as a child is born with PEC in the Czech Republic every other day, we - you could say - lend a splint to a family every other day.

What is your normal working day like?

During the day, I work as an accountant at SUMA spol. s r.o., and as I have a great boss I can work entirely from home, as I couldn't handle the daily commute to the other side of Prague. Driving a car is not such a problem in itself, but driving in traffic jams is not easy. Because you're pressing the pedal so much more and it’s really hard on your legs. And then I devote my evenings to the association. Once or twice a month, I also help out an elderly lady who is almost blind now, and I help her with her "paperwork". We sort out her bills, letters, mail, that sort of thing.

What is your current state of health? Did you get the wheelchair you talked about in one of your interviews?

Fortunately, my feet are still my own and I hope it stays that way. Now this completely goes against what I asked of the doctors in 2017, i.e. to amputate my feet - but at that time I was in so much pain that I couldn't stand it, and amputation was the only way out for me back then. Now I have both legs "immobilized"; the pain is still there, but I can put up with it, I guess. Although after the last two operations (2017 and 2019) I don't walk much anymore; I suppose I do no more than 3,000 to 4,000 steps in a whole day, meaning a normal day - one when I need to go shopping, then I spend the next day or two getting over that. (laughs)

I've had the wheelchair for two years now and I'm so glad I’ve got it. I can now go on trips, and although I have to limit myself to places with wheelchair access, fortunately I can get out of the wheelchair and overcome the obstacle. There's just not a lot of free time for trips. 

How did you get into Foot Alignment Socks and how long have you been wearing them?

I came across Foot Alignment Socks a few years ago quite by accident on the internet. I was worried whether they’d be suitable for my "crooked" feet. Back then, I wrote to the e-shop owner about this, and I received a message saying they’d be fine. So, I ordered a pair in my favourite green colour and when they arrived, I had to try them on immediately. True, putting them on is a bit trickier for me, because my toes are twisted, but that amazing sense of relief when I put them on and that strange sense of relief after taking them off... Such a relaxing feeling... I’d say. Back then I immediately wrote a review of the socks for our self-help group for adults with pes equinovarus and I know a few people ordered them. Well, almost a year ago I met the owners of the e-shop in Ostravice in person and found out (besides the fact that they’re such good-hearted ladies) that they’ve got small socks too, and I was immediately interested in the idea of using them for our little ones. 

Veronika's feet before and after wearing Foot Alignment Socks

What do Foot Alignment Socks help you with the most? Would you recommend them to others?

If I remember correctly, the leaflet I received with the socks I’d ordered said that it was best to start by wearing them for 20 minutes or so. But I felt such a sense of relief the first time I put on my socks that I lasted more than an hour. So how long did it take me to get used to them? No time at all. I definitely recommend these socks to everyone, not only to people with a foot defect, but also to healthy people in general. 

There's only one thing that bothers me about the Foot Alignment Socks - and that's that I can't wear them all day and they don't fit in my shoes. 

What do you think about children wearing Foot Alignment Socks?

What’s the best way to avoid something? Prevention. And what better prevention than the "ordinary" act of wearing socks, even if they are Alignment Socks. For me personally, I can't really judge how effective they are for healthy feet, but in our little feet we know that their toes have loosened up, so what could be better? For us, that’s absolutely amazing. 

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Thank you very much for the enjoyable interview and we wish you the best of health and strength in your personal and professional life.