Each mission is fueled by volunteers. These men and women donate their time and talents to help Operation Walk Los Angeles achieve the goal of restoring mobility to those who need it most.
This month, we feature thoughts from both a return volunteer, David Rawson, MD, and a first-timer, Zen Shimabukuro. Thank you both for sharing your story and being a part of our team. Together, we are changing lives through joint replacement. Read more
There are so many stories of mobility improved, lives changed, and dreams rekindled. Here are just a few.
”During my wait, I endured so much pain, agonizing, I may say. Finally, it is over. This is one of the happiest days of my life. May God continue to bless your mission, protect the entire team and give you the strength to keep changing lives.”
-Brendon
Left Knee 2024
Right Knee 2026
By Lisa Fujimoto-Yamaguchi, PA-C, Team Leader
Returning to General Santos City meant reconnecting with a community that has been waiting for us. Our volunteer team performed 44 joint replacements for 35 patients, relieving years of chronic pain and restoring mobility. Watching the patients take their first steps after surgery reminded us that every planning meeting, every shipment packed, and every mile traveled was worth it.
Dear Operation Walk Team,
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for giving my mama, Gloria Palacio, the incredible gift of mobility.
My mom was one of the fortunate recipients of a knee replacement surgery during your recent mission in General Santos City. While I know this surgery will transform her life, I also want you to know how deeply it has touched ours.
As a daughter, it is incredibly painful to watch a parent lose their mobility so early in life. My mom was only in her 50s when chronic knee pain began to limit the things she loved to do. Over the years, I watched her endure pain with quiet strength, adapting her life around what her knees would allow instead of what her heart wanted.
Living abroad while my mom is in the Philippines means we only get to spend precious time together every few years. Those visits are something I treasure. I’ve always dreamed of taking her on walks, exploring new places, and making memories together. But each trip came with the heartbreaking reality that every outing had to be planned around her pain. It was difficult seeing someone you love hesitate to walk, struggle with stairs, or sit out activities because of discomfort.
Your generosity has given my mom far more than a new knee. You have given her freedom, independence, dignity, and hope. You have given her the chance to enjoy everyday moments without constant pain. And for our family, you have given us the priceless opportunity to spend our limited time together creating memories instead of worrying about her limitations. That is a gift beyond words.
I know Operation Walk is powered by volunteers—surgeons, nurses, therapists, coordinators, and countless others who generously give their time, expertise, and compassion. Please know that your work reaches far beyond the operating room. It changes not only the life of each patient, but also the lives of the people who love them.
Thank you for choosing to serve communities in need. Thank you for restoring hope where there was pain. Thank you for making it possible for families like ours to look forward to a future filled with more walks, more adventures, more laughter, and simply more time enjoying life together.
Your kindness and generosity will forever be a part of our family’s story, and we will always be grateful.
With heartfelt appreciation,
Glorissa Palacio
Just two short years ago, Mylene Amor Pañares Fulgencio was an OpWalk patient who underwent bilateral hip surgery.
Last month, she volunteered to provide much-needed relief to her community after an earthquake rocked the Southern Philippines.
“As we prepare for patient screening this month, I wanted to share my mom, Melanie Rimando’s story.
My mother first started feeling severe pain in both knees in 2015. For as long as my brother and I can remember, she worked tirelessly to give us a comfortable life. But commuting to work every day in the Philippines is a brutal ordeal. Six days a week, she endured over three hours of daily travel. She had to run to catch buses and jeeps, get bumped around in massive crowds, and struggle to keep her balance while standing inside packed vehicles. The commute was so rough that she would sometimes lose her footing, falling knee-first onto the floor or violently slamming her knees against the hard metal seats and other passengers.
She endured all of that without a single complaint, secretly pushing through the agony just to show up for us. Eventually, the pain intensified so much that she could no longer work on-site. Over the last decade, her condition progressively worsened. Today, in 2026, our once-active mother is now mostly wheelchair-bound and cannot walk without assistance because of severe, bone-on-bone pain that she rates a 10 out of 10.
We took her to the doctors and X-rays confirmed she has bilateral end-stage osteoarthritis. But for a normal family in the Philippines, a double knee replacement costs an absolute fortune and is a financial impossibility. We felt completely helpless watching her suffer.
One night in November 2025, I couldn’t sleep. The image of my mother’s excruciating pain kept me awake. I spent the entire night researching alternatives like joint injections, only to find out that a full replacement was her only hope. It was a sleepless night, but it was the least I could do for my mother. She did everything in her power so we could run, even if it meant losing her ability to walk. That was the night I stumbled upon Operation Walk.
Finding your organization instantly brought hope back into our lives. I messaged the page right away to share her story, and a few days later, Miss Cami Ward replied with the life-changing news about the upcoming July 2026 mission at St. Elizabeth Hospital. Right now, we are looking forward to the final screening, which is happening in less than two weeks and doing our absolute best to keep her healthy and ready for it.
This mission is truly the answer to a decade of prayers. I love my mom so much, and words cannot express how grateful we are that Operation Walk is giving her a second chance at a pain-free life.”
Thomas Alfonso Ng
When I think back to that mission in 2001, I am reminded of how our location proved to be full of challenges. The hospital in Cebu had double-booked themselves for medical missions. A team of neurosurgeons were using the ORs, so we ended up using little outpatient exam rooms for surgery.
We placed OR tables diagonally to fit the cramped quarters. The scrub tech had to go in first with the instruments and then the bed with the patient – sealing in the tech. We taped sterile drapes to the wall because the instrument tables were right up against it. You can visualize how small the room is since Dorr is right up by the wall. Pre-op and post op were in what was the waiting room of the clinic. Patient rooms were set up in the lobby of the hospital with chalkboards as room dividers in the area where they typically did peritoneal dialysis.
“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.
Operation Walk has had a long-standing partnership with Cornell College and its pre-healthcare program, Dimensions. This program for Health Professions provides comprehensive support for pre-health students, including specialized advising, internships, and research opportunities.
With Cornell College being Dr. Dorr’s undergrad alma mater, this program fits perfectly with his vision to immerse students at the ground level of Operation Walk, experiencing healthcare at its truest form. This tradition has given dozens of students throughout the years an introduction to medicine and service to others.
Our upcoming mission to the Philippines welcomes two student volunteers, Eva Plathe and Tansy Graves. Learn more about these motivated students and why they are excited to volunteer.
“I am humbled by the growth and meaning of Operation Walk throughout Orthopedics and the countries where it has operated, including our own. The thousands of people it has touched, both the givers and the receivers, have better lives because of the good and goodness that is OPWALK.”
– Lawrence D. Dorr, M.D.
Founder, Operation Walk
As we prepare for our return to General Santos City, Philippines in 2026, things have been very busy behind the scenes. We’re gathering and coordinating everything needed for surgery—because we truly bring everything with us.
We’re also screening and selecting patients to ensure they meet the criteria, carefully choosing the right volunteers for this mission, and working closely with our local partners to make sure all requirements are met and everything is done properly and in compliance. All of this is happening while we continue to balance our full-time jobs and everyday responsibilities.
Hello!
My name is Daena Talavera, a current senior chemical engineering major attending the University of Notre Dame! Alongside engineering, I am a member of the varsity fencing team, an undergraduate researcher in the O’Sullivan Biophotonics lab, and an amateur chef.
