In the next few months, we will be exploring the family connection within the Operation Walk organization. Team members have often raised their children in our community and emphasized the importance of volunteerism, service, compassion and giving back to both the local and the global community. These second-generation volunteers bring a new energy, spirit, and vision to Operation Walk. Often young volunteers go into the field of health care to become the new face of medicine.
This month’s story features the Holsbeke family. Matt Holsbeke NP and his wife, Sandy Holsbeke PT, have been active members of our team for almost twenty years. They’ve dedicated many hours to fundraising, organizing and participating in mission trips around the world. Matt explains his commitment.
“The independence we create, through the magic of total joint replacements, helps our patients to be reunited and accepted within their communities and be a more productive individual in their society. If I had to describe the team members’ desire to do what we do, I would have to say, it is the passion and love of one individual to another to help mankind. Taking my daughters on a medical mission trip to third world countries allows them an opportunity to experience the simplicity of life, the people that live there and the importance of giving unconditionally.”
In this spirit, both Matt and Sandy decided that giving their two daughters, Sierra and Julianna, the chance to participate in a mission trip would be an invaluable life opportunity. Sierra traveled with us to Havana, Cuba, in 2019 and Julianna to Antigua, Guatemala, in 2021. Below are their thoughts and what they learned during their experiences.
“This has been a wonderful trip. I’ve gotten to experience every aspect of the mission. Throughout these experiences, I’ve been able to narrow down my focus of what I would like to do with my life after my college graduation.”
-Sierra Holsbeke
“To see the work that all of you do to help people that can’t get the help that they desperately need opens my eyes to opportunities in the future, opportunities in the medical field. I am very thankful for each and every one of you. I learned so much. Thank you everyone for sharing your stories about past mission trips. Your experiences inspire me to give back. It has been very rewarding to see the results of our combined work.”
-Juliana Holsbeke
Sierra currently works in the role of front office manager with a Physical Therapy office and Juliana is continuing her college career and is following her entrepreneurial spirit, opening her own cleaning business.
When speaking with their mother, Sandy, she sums up what Operation Walk means to their family and the importance of exposing children to experiences that include volunteering and maybe even taking a step out of their comfort zone.
“Our daughters have grown up experiencing the joy of giving back and providing service to others in need locally. They watched as Matt and then myself joined the OpWalk team to expand that service to a broader community. We’re so very grateful to have had the opportunity to have both of them experience that excitement of seeing firsthand the gift of being part of a life-changing surgery. The added benefit of experiencing another’s culture and gaining a broader view of the challenges others face around the world was invaluable. The missions they both participated in also provided them with a much closer look at what Matt and I do in our respective professions and opened their eyes to potential career paths. Thank you Op Walk!”
Thank you Holsbeke family for being a part of our OpWalk family and helping us to continue our mission of restoring mobility and changing lives.