Out of love and passion…
The Ignacio Ponseti Foundation was born from the love and passion we have for our son’s congenital clubfoot and for the Ponseti method. He and his story are the reason for the establishing of our Foundation.
When Stanislaw was born, we were taken by surprise by his small, curved foot. We didn’t know beforehand that he would have such a condition. The confusion among the medical staff in the delivery room was the first sign of dissonance. As we searched the Internet thoroughly, we came across many contradictory pieces of information. Some were hopeless and downright nonsensical, everything seemed to contradict itself. Ultimately, after 9 months of treatment at one of the recommended orthopedic centers near Warsaw, we had gathered a whole range of these dissonances. When we discovered that there were multiple errors in our treatment and that the foot still didn’t look good—quite the opposite, it was getting worse—we felt something inside us break. We decided to change the course of treatment and sought care beyond Poland, in Vienna (Austria), with a qualified and certified doctor.
Alongside the new treatment for our son’s foot, we also learned more about the condition and the treatment method, which is considered the “gold standard.” The Ponseti method, as practiced by the doctor in Vienna, was very different from what we had encountered in Poland.
Every question we had was answered.
Every doubt we had was dispelled.
Every curiosity we had was satisfied.
Unfortunately, it quickly became clear that there were more children like Staś, and most of them were also receiving poor treatment. It was at that moment that we made the decision to change this.
The decision to establish the Foundation came to us quickly, but it needed time to truly mature and take shape. We created two grassroots initiatives for parents, to be able to help them while also growing into our decision to found the foundation. One could say that as the initiatives evolved, our conviction that the Foundation was necessary grew stronger. That it was simply something “we had to do”.
We are in the right place now, even though this journey took nearly 4 years from the idea to its realization.
Founders
The Ignacio Ponseti Foundation was established by Monika and Pawel Jarczewski
and was legally registered on July 22, 2019.
MONIKA
President of the Foundation
Monika’s strengths lie in her reliability, precision, ability to connect facts, and consistency. Perhaps that’s why, for nearly 7 years, she has tirelessly shared knowledge about clubfoot and the Ponseti method with parents, and through them, with doctors. She is responsible for the content, both informative and graphic, on the website and in the parent support groups.
PAWEL
Vice President of Foundation
Pawel is best described by his composure, calmness, and problem-solving approach. Although his work isn’t immediately visible, it is essential. All the websites, databases, and emails function thanks to his efforts and dedication. Pawel integrates new IT innovations and modules into a cohesive whole, ensuring that all our foundation’s structures run smoothly without any issues.