At age 18, I found out I would be wheelchair-bound by age 40 because my parents refused to take daughter to the doctor as a kid.

I (F21) and have a complicated history with my parents. I was in 8th grade when I realized my feet wasn't like everyone else's. I got tired walking on them very quickly. But I had issue with walking ever since I can remember. Throughout my childhood, I would walk weirdly (which my parents initially attributed it to toe-walking on stairs) and start limping when walking long distances. My dad would yell and beat because he "had a similar problem like me and learned how to walk correctly" when I wouldn't walk properly. My parents refused to take me to the doctor because they believe doctors over-diagnose for money and want to put bad stuff into the body (anti-vax). When we went on vacation when I was around ~17 to Disneyworld, things went progressively worse. My feet would pain all day AND night (I would cry myself to sleep). I would have to hold on to my sister and mom for them to drag me across the parks. I couldn't stand without falling over and sat at every option I got, Every time I walked, my feet would sharply pain me. After this event, my mom started to suspect something was wrong and secretly took me to the doctor as a kid and I was diagnosed with very severe flat feet due to overpronation. My doctor told my condition was entirely hereditary and could have been fixed if I was taken to the doctor while I was still growing. But now, it's too late and I'll be wheelchair bound by 40 and my feet will deteriorate faster. I felt so betrayed and tried to stifle my tears (my mom would have gotten so angry with making *her* feel bad if I cried anymore), but my mom did cry. It's now been three years, and my feet have deteriorated more. I struggle with walking long distances, balancing and sometimes need to use disability-friendly services to get around when I walk too long. I can't wear many other shoes besides specific ones with my customized orthotics and experience chronic feet pain during the winter months (walking on uneven terrain, snow and ice). I can't stand/walk for more 30 minutes at a time and have gotten stuck on sidewalks because of my feet and have been in so much pain that I can't even move. I'm also a slow walker.