Kai Cartwright, a five-year-old from Walton, has spent his whole life struggling to walk after being born with arthrogryposis, a rare condition that caused his feet and hands to turn inwards. His mum Talia, 25, said he falls over a hundred times a day but never gives up.
Diagnosis and early challenges
His mother discovered the condition during a pregnancy scan. "We found out when I was still pregnant with him in one of the first few scans. To start with they thought it was club foot. It was at a second appointment they spotted his hands were curved in as well. It was after that point it became more serious and he was diagnosed with arthrogryposis," she said.
"I was told it was really rare for him to have it in both his hands and feet."
Kai was born with his feet completely turned in. His hands were less affected. "His feet required an operation, whereas his hands were able to move, it was just more of a struggle for him," his mother said.
Surgery and ongoing treatment
At one month old, Kai underwent major surgery to straighten his feet. Since then, he has worn special boots and bars to prevent his joints from bending, alongside regular hospital appointments and physiotherapy.
A growth spurt in late 2024 caused his feet to start curving inward again. He underwent a second operation on Thursday, August 20. Talia said: "When he had a growth spurt his feet started to curve back in, not as bad as it was before. But as he's growing his feet are growing back to the way they were when he was born."
She added: "He wears his special bar and boots overnight and 90% of the time he'd wear them, but he'd have trouble sleeping and it was a battle every night."
Resilience and fundraising
Despite his struggles, Talia described Kai as resilient and full of energy. "He wakes up absolutely full of beans. We're always out, always on the go. There's no keeping him still. He doesn't give up. He falls over a hundred times a day, you've got to keep an eye on him. He just lives as he can."
Earlier this year, Kai raised nearly £400 for charity through a walking challenge. His mother has now set up a fundraiser to buy mobility equipment and organise wheelchair-friendly activities, raising over £900 so far. She said: "I wasn't expecting to raise as much as I have already. Kai did a fundraiser earlier in the year, so I've done this one for him to keep his morale high and show that other people do care."
She added: "He's seeing people help him over this difficult period, his friends have come to see him, and this is going towards keeping him as involved in normal life as he can be."
