We were floored last year when our pocket-rocket 6 year old son, Robbie, was diagnosed with Perthes Disease - a rare condition affecting 1 in 9,000 children (usually boys), where part or all of the femoral head (top of the thigh bone: the ball part of the ball-and-socket hip joint) loses its blood supply and becomes misshapen, causing it to slip out of the hip-joint. 

After an Easter weekend spent looking very uncomfortable; limping around egg hunts and trying to keep up with his friends, we took Robbie to A&E thinking he’d knocked / bumped into something - which would’ve been very much in keeping with his usual high energy character! 

Two weeks later we were contacted following up on our A&E X-rays to be informed of a suspected Perthes diagnosis. 

As a condition we’d never heard of and one that it is still unclear as to the root of its cause, we were obviously hugely daunted at this news and set off on a panic / research drive! 

I was incredibly grateful to come across across Steps Worldwide - a welcome resource, providing helpful Parenting Booklets on the condition and what to expect, as well as inspirational stories and experiences which provided some comfort amidst our panic / shock / stress / bewilderment. 

After a multitude of tests, X-rays and MRI scans, nine months later, Robbie recently underwent corrective hip surgery to help reposition his femur in the hip joint - on his 7th birthday! He’s now our very own Iron Man! 

Robbie has been an absolute trooper, taking the last couple of months, post surgery, in his wheelchair, in his determined stride. 

We’re hopeful that the recovery period is going well and that he will progress to weight bearing on his crutches soon. He’ll need the support of crutches for several months thereafter and then will return for further surgery to remove his chunky metal work in approximately a year. 

We sincerely hope that by then our wee soldier will be back to his beloved football, karate, tennis, park run and general racing around with his buddies! 

To help raise awareness of childhood hip conditions and to support the Steps charity, I’m taking part in their March Hip Dip swimathon.

Steps Worldwide works hard to support children, parents and adults suffering with hip problems, supporting via the phone, social media groups or by email, answering thousands of questions a day related to hip issues. They undergo investigative research and also give out hundreds of free car seats to families every year. 

I’ll be swimming 5K in our local (unheated!) lido this month and would be grateful of any support to warm me up (average pool temperature this month is 5 degrees!) 

Thanks for reading! xx