Relief for Adam

The Footcare Clinic serves a community that often faces significant barriers to care—poverty, unstable housing, transportation challenges, and a deep-rooted lack of trust in the healthcare system. Many clients arrive with concerns they’ve carried for a long time, unaware that medical relief was even an option. Some have complex health needs, while others come in for what seems like a routine visit only to uncover deeper issues.

Dr. Minh Nguyen, the Chiropodist who leads the clinic, sees firsthand how untreated foot problems can take a toll. “If you can’t walk without pain, just getting through the day becomes hard,” he says. “Many of my clients who are homeless spend all day outside, walking from place to place just to meet their basic needs—food, a bathroom, a place to rest. They don’t have the means to afford proper footwear or pay out-of-pocket for treatment. They do what they can to manage, but it’s not enough to maintain good foot health.”

Over time, the clinic has developed a strong reputation. Social workers, community agencies, and family doctors regularly refer their low-income clients to Fontbonne, knowing it may be their only chance at getting foot care. The clinic serves a wide range of people—those living in shelters, individuals on ODSP (Ontario Disability Support Program), and seniors struggling to care for themselves. “Many seniors physically can’t care for their feet,” Dr. Minh explains. “Arthritis, Parkinson’s, and poor eyesight make even basic tasks—like trimming toenails or managing callouses—impossible.”

For Adam, a regular at the Fontbonne Drop-in, foot discomfort was just something he learned to live with. Having spent years on the streets, he knew what it was like to have no choice but to keep moving, often in shoes that had long since lost their support. Now housed not far from Fontbonne, walking is still his primary mode of transportation. And between playing hockey, football, and baseball, he had always pushed through the discomfort. “You just deal with it,” he says. “But after a while, it catches up with you. It was through word of mouth at the drop-in that I heard about Dr. Minh and decided to see what he could do for me.”

Fontbonne and the other members of the Downtown Toronto East Footcare Clinic gratefully acknowledge the generous support of La Fondation Emmanuelle Gattuso.

“Adam had a thick callous that made every step painful, along with hammer toes and a bad fungal nail infection,” says Dr. Minh. “His situation isn’t unusual. A lot of people come in with foot problems that could be managed with the right shoes or custom insoles, but those things are expensive and out of reach for many. For Adam, our approach has been maintenance and education.”

“Dr. Minh talks to me like a friend,” Adam says. “He explains what’s happening with my feet, why it’s happening, and what I can do about it. Nobody has ever taken the time to explain that to me before.”

The Fontbonne Footcare Clinic exists for people who can’t wait months to see a specialist or afford private treatment. “My clients don’t have the money to pay for the regularly prescribed treatments,” says Dr. Minh, “and our clinic budget requires that we go back to basics—there are no excess expenses here.” That means making adjustments, like creating his own anti-fungal solution, because the prescribed medication is too costly. “But that’s one of the things I like most about working here—because it’s more challenging, I have to think outside the box to find solutions.”

But Adam’s journey isn’t just about foot care—it’s about rebuilding his life. He is recovering from addiction, something he’s open about. Beyond foot care, Fontbonne is a community for Adam. He attends the drop-in several times a week, using the computers for research, grabbing a coffee with friends, and connecting with the staff, volunteers, and other participants.

“I’ve been through a lot, but I’m still here,” he says. “I try to stay positive, and I like to make others happy. I know what it’s like to feel like you’re on your own. So, if I can make someone’s day a little better, why wouldn’t I?”

For Dr. Minh, that’s part of the bigger picture. “The work goes beyond diagnosing and treating—it’s about creating an inclusive environment where people feel seen and heard. The goal is simple: care that is consistent, compassionate, and accessible.”