Ruth was born with Blount's disease. Surgery straightened her legs
It is a known condition with a known treatment. What she lacked was a surgeon within reach.
Blount's disease is diagnosable and correctable. In much of the world that means a referral. Elsewhere it means nothing happens at all.
What Blount's disease does
Blount's disease affects the growth plate below the knee, so the lower leg turns progressively inwards as a child grows. Untreated, the deformity worsens year on year and eventually damages the knee joint permanently.
Because it develops slowly, it is often mistaken for something a child will grow out of. The opposite is true: the earlier it is corrected, the simpler the correction.
Correction and recovery
Orthopaedic surgeons realigned the bone and the leg was cast while it healed. Ruth then worked with the rehabilitation team to build up strength and relearn her gait.
Why naming the condition matters
Families searching for help do not always know what to search for. Publishing the name of the condition, alongside the everyday description of bowed legs, is part of how a family finds out that something can be done.