“I’ve been close friends with Pia Squillino since my early teens. Growing up, we were part of a group of six girls who did almost everything together. Although we all eventually moved away, built careers, and started families of our own, we’ve remained incredibly close.
Pia moved to London and went on to become Sir Mick Jagger’s personal assistant. Fortunately for me, her work often brings her to Los Angeles, so we still see each other regularly. I honestly couldn’t do her job—she is exceptionally organized, dedicated, and hardworking.
When I asked her if Sir Mick might be interested in supporting Operation Walk, Pia encouraged me to write a letter explaining the organization, what we did, and how we helped people. She was already familiar with my volunteer work and knows how passionate I am about our cause.
The timing couldn’t have been better. In 2025, we were preparing for our trip to Cuba, and in 2016 the Rolling Stones performed their historic free concert in Havana. Cuba was already a place that Sir Mick Jagger and his team were aware of, which helped provide context for our work there. He made an initial donation of $10,000. An amount to cover two joint replacements.
Sharron Whiteley, RN, celebrating after the live auction
After our mission was complete, team leader Julie Anderson, RN, suggested sharing Frank’s story. Frank Martinez is an 18-year-old who has spent most of his life battling spondyloarthritis, a disease affecting the spine and joints. Frank was initially unable to have his bilateral hip replacements in 2024 but was able to receive both surgeries during our 2025 mission. He is now fully mobile, attending University, and building a future.
I sent Pia a video of Frank’s first steps after surgery, and I believe that played an important role in securing an additional donation. Sir Mick was able to see firsthand the impact his initial funding had made and how he helped transform lives. Seeing those results made the project much more personal and tangible.
We are grateful to both Pia and Sir Mick for his donation of a signed Fender Stratocaster Guitar with a hard case to our Gala live auction. Because of their generosity and support, we are able to fully fund five patient surgeries on our next mission in 2027.”