Ellen Ladau, who has Larsen Syndrome, was having some difficulties at night when sleeping in her orthotic braces (AFO’s). Ellen came up with a simple yet unusual solution – she ditched her AFO’s and began sleeping in her UGG boots.
Ellen needs foot support at night because she has foot drop which left not cared for can cause pressure sores and other medical problems. Ellen states her AFO’s were very hot and heavy. Not to mention, she had to rely on her husband to put the braces on her feet every night, and if she had to use the bathroom in the middle of the night Ellen’s husband would have to take the AFO’s off and then put them back on.
One day when Ellen was wearing UGG boots she realized how similar they were to her braces. “I realized that due to the rigidity of the boots at the back of the heel, my feet were supported enough to avoid foot drop,” she says.
That night Ellen slept in her UGG boots and have been doing so ever since. She states, “Even though they have fur lining, they are cooler than the AFO’s and I have not woken up with sweaty feet once. And, I can get up in the middle of the night without disturbing Marc.”
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