January 5, 2021 Operation Walk

A Message From Matthew Holsbeke, Nurse Practitioner and Volunteer

In life, not only do events shape our lives, but so do individuals. All people who come and go in our lives either have a negative, or positive impact. Around 2003 was the year my life changed all for the better. I was attending one of the largest Orthopedics meetings in the nation, Current Concepts in Orlando, Florida. On one of my breaks from lecture, I approached a vendor booth which caught my eye. A medical mission groups based out of Los Angeles called Operation Walk. Jeri Ward ran the booth and we sparked up a conversation about the organization. I asked her how I could get involved, and she said I would have to discuss this with Dr. Dorr. Unbeknownst to me, I said, “who is Dr. Dorr.?” Fate is a wonderful thing, and to my good luck, he happened to walk by. Jeri quickly pointed and said, “there he is, go talk with him”.

I approached Dr. Dorr, introduced myself and inquired about how to get involved, in the organization, never thinking what would happen next. Apparently there was a Florida group planning a trip to El Salvador the following year. Dr. Dorr was talking to George Ethridge, a territorial Zimmer rep who was in charge of this mission. “Sign him up George”, Dr. Dorr said. And this is how I became a part of this amazing and wonderful organization.

Dr. Dorr thought he was creating a wonderful organization, that would benefit people around the world. Let me take that a step better. Dr. Dorr created an organization that brought great people with amazing talents together. It is because of these talents, that other people in turn benefit. I am honored to be a part of Op Walk. 16 years later, and numerous mission trips I have had the opportunity to touch peoples lives, make world wide friends, learn to give from the heart and be a humanitarian to a well needed cause.

Operation Walk Los Angeles is a volunteer medical humanitarian organization that provides the gift of mobility through life-changing joint replacement surgeries at no cost for those in need in the U.S. and globally. I am not sure if Dr. Dorr thought his initial creation would take off starting from a LA based facility, but it did, and to the this day, this is what one man’s dream created: 20 teams, 100 trips, 25 countries, 17,000 patients, $500000 valued time donated from volunteers for each mission.

Today, I got the call that after a brief illness, Dr. Lawrence Dorr, founder of Operation Walk passed away.
Sadness filled my heart and yet I am not alone, for I am confident this sadness spread to many people both staff, volunteers, and patients around the world.

The one most important thing I have learned from Op Walk is that giving is far greater than receiving. That despite prestige, money, education, or possessions, we are all sewn from the same cloth, and come from a common thread… we are human and are created equal. And as a human being, it is our duty to care for each other and give from the heart.

There is no doubt in my mind that Dr. Lawrence Dorr will be missed. I can only hope a piece of him rubbed off on me during my interactions with him. I believe I am off to a great start.

So, I tip my hat, and raise my glass to toast an amazing man, a father figure, mentor, and friend. I will personally miss you.