Being able to return to our partner hospitals is crucial to patient care.

Meet Brendon Buenaflor, a firefighter and the arm wrestling champion of Mindanao. He was shot eleven years ago, causing damage to his right knee. This injury led to having a rod, a metal plate and pins implanted into his knee and femur. He suffered from severe arthritis in that knee and his left as well.

Brendon wanted his right knee replaced, but our team didn’t have access to the proper equipment to remove the existing hardware during our 2024 mission, so they replaced his left knee.

During our pre-trip to General Santos City last October, team leaders had a chance to reconnect with Brendon and examine both his operated knee and his right, still needing replacement. Next summer, Operation Walk returns to the Philippines and will bring the equipment needed to give Brendon the knee he has waited for and completely restore his mobility.

“I am very grateful to be free from pain in my left leg now. I can do so many things I could not do before this operation. I will wait for you to return this summer and am very thankful to OpWalk for helping me walk again.”

Operation Walk LA pre-team with Brendon in October 2025

For the past ten years, the simple act of walking has become a constant reminder of my pain. It all started with a seemingly harmless sound: the cracking in my knees, which, over time, transformed into a constant and debilitating presence.

I didn’t give up easily. For years, I dedicated myself to physical therapy, hoping to strengthen my knees. In 2018, I even turned to an innovative stem cell treatment, which gave me a precious five-year respite. It was a period of truce, but eventually, the pain returned with such force that maintaining an acceptable quality of life became impossible.

This pain has stolen more than physical comfort from me; it has deprived me of irreplaceable moments. I’ve had to stop exercising, give up walks in nature that I love so much, and, most difficult of all, I haven’t been able to be the grandmother I dreamed of being for my granddaughter, Helenita. Now that she’s 6, I long with all my heart to be able to run around with her in the park, play on the ground without fear, and take her camping to show her the beauty of the trees and plants I miss so much.

Tania with her granddaughter Helenita

My greatest hope for the future is simple yet profound: to regain an active life. I dream of being able to walk without pain, swim, and above all, create happy memories with my Helenita. I want to be part of her adventures, not a spectator from afar.

By sharing my story with the readers and donors of Operation Walk, I want to offer a clear vision: your support is not just about funding knee surgery. It’s about giving a grandmother back the opportunity to play with her granddaughter. It’s about giving the gift of moments of joy, freedom, and quality of life. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for considering being part of my journey to recovery and for helping to fill my future with possibilities once again.

Tania Guerra
Bilateral Knee Surgery
Cuba 2025

Tania 1 month after surgery

My name is Idania Urquiza Montero and I want to share the profound impact the two surgeries performed by the OpWalk team have had on my life, first in 2024 and then in 2025. I’m not just talking about medical procedures: I’m talking about a real, tangible, and transformative before and after.

When I came to you, I was carrying years of pain, limitations, and emotional exhaustion that were taking their toll. From the very first moment, I felt a level of commitment and professionalism that you don’t see every day. You spoke to me clearly, guided me every step of the way, and made me feel supported in a process that, honestly, is frightening.

Idania in 2024 pre-surgery

The first surgery in 2024 opened a door that I thought was closed forever. I regained mobility, I regained hope. But the second procedure in 2025 completely changed everything. It was the closing of a long and difficult chapter, and the beginning of a life with real possibilities.

It hasn’t been an easy road, but you were always there: attentive, compassionate, responsible, and with a dedication evident in every detail. Thanks to your work, today I can move around, resume my routines, look ahead with strength, and feel that I’ve recovered parts of myself I thought were lost.

I say this without exaggeration: Walk gave me back my quality of life, and that’s something I will never forget. I will be eternally grateful to every member of the team who made it possible for me to have a fuller and freer life today.

Thank you for your commitment, your patience, and your excellence.

Sincerely and with much love…

Idania

Idania in 2024 post-surgery

Continuing our series on potential patients being screened for joint replacement surgery during our 2025 mission to Havana, Cuba. Frank was a prospective patient last year. Now eighteen years old, he has his whole life in front of him and is waiting for his second chance at a life free from pain and restriction. Thank you, Frank, for sharing your story.

“My name is Frank Antonio and growing up, my life was a normal life. I played, ran, jumped, all the normal things,  until at age 12, when I was diagnosed with a disease called spondyloarthritis, which is a disease that affected my spine and joints. From one moment to the next, my joints would hurt. Practically all of them (elbows, knees, cervical, ankles, and especially hips) would cause me great pain. When I was younger, the disease was concentrated in the head of my right and left femur, causing pain in such a way that I had to be in a wheelchair. 

Time passed and when God allowed it, I was able to start walking again. Unfortunately, without the head of my right femur, avascular necrosis invaded my right hip, causing great limitations. I can’t walk long distances, it causes contractions in my hip. I can’t bend down, sleep in certain positions, ride  a motorcycle or even walk very well (I have a limp.) Because of all these things, my spine is bending, causing me even more pain and restriction.

Honestly, after surgery and recovery, I would like to be able to stand on my own two feet and, above all else, be able to preach the gospel of Christ. I want to bend and flex my leg again, begin university studies, and continue my life as God determines.

I just recently had my birthday in June and now I’m 18. I can’t wait for you all to return, have my surgery and to see what life has in store for me.”

-Frank Antonio Martinez Vargas