Clotilde Quintanilla Reyes is the 70-year-old mother of one son and grandmother to four grandchildren. She has worked as a cook in a local hospital for many years. Clotilde suffers from arthritis, which feels most severe in her right knee, and it has become increasingly difficult to complete her daily tasks in the kitchen. She worked up until the day before our patient screening and is anxious to get back, worrying about job security. Without her job at the hospital, Clotilde is worried about how she could continue to support herself.

Clotilde was our first patient during this trip to CIMEQ. Her recovery time was remarkably short. When our physical therapists came to have her walk the first time, Clotilde walked down the entire hall and back! With her roommates and sister cheering her on, she went for another spin and said she was ready to race.

Clotilde is ready to get back to her job at the hospital and is planning on returning in about 6 weeks. She was able to call and share the good news with her son and his wife, who live in Canada, and told them she would be walking on her own the next time they saw each other.

Myra is a 65-year-old nurse who works in a local hospital. She especially enjoys working with her patients. With the gradual onset of arthritis in her knees, the amount of time she could be on her feet and the hours she could work kept reducing due to the pain. Mayra worried that she would no longer be able to work if the pain continued to grow.

She received a knee replacement surgery from Dr. Kumar and his team. A day after surgery, Mayra met with Dr. Kumar and he was impressed with her ability to both bend her knee and lift her leg unaided. Later, she was able to walk with our physical therapy team and said she felt like a model.

Mayra is ready to go back to work. She told our volunteers, “I worked up until two days before I came to be screened in your clinic. Only fifteen more days and I will be able to have my staples removed and be back to my hospital, my co-workers, and my patients. Thank you all for giving me back my life!”

She not only looks forward to returning to work, but can’t wait to see her two grandchildren, and maybe someday soon, go dancing.

Tomas Tapanes Bello is a 77 year-old father of two, and grandfather of four. He works as the coordinator at the National Convention Center, organizing expositions, conventions and other social events. Beginning two years ago, he experienced pain in his hips that has continued to increase, making it difficult for him to work, navigate stairs, or walk any substantial distance.

Tomas received his hip replacement from Dr. William Long and within three hours of surgery, was standing and using a walker. The next day, he was eager to head home, but our physical therapy staff wanted him to stay another day and practice stairs, since there are multiple flights at the convention center. By the second day after surgery, Tomas received the green light to return home. Before he was discharged, he had the chance to meet his surgeon, Dr. William Long. Dr. Long and his assisting surgeon Dr. Maxine Anderson had a photo of the hip that was removed and showed it to him. He was amazed, “That was mine? It was really bad, no wonder it hurt so much!”

Tomas is eager to return to work at the Convention Center with his newfound mobility. He says that many people count on him there and they had to prepare for the large Earth Day celebration on April 22. Tomas is eager to try out his new hip at work and play with his grandchildren. He can’t wait to show everyone how well he can walk!

Felix Moya Vasquez is a 71-year-old biochemistry professor, father of two children, and grandfather of four. After a car accident ten years ago, he has limited mobility, making it difficult to fully bend his knee. He finds it more and more difficult to walk, even short distances. At work, he was forced to give his lectures seated due to the pain and instability that his injury caused. He feared that he might be forced into retirement because he could no longer carry the course load maintained by his colleagues.

After his knee replacement surgery, Felix was up within a few hours and successfully walking with first a walker, then crutches. The following day, Felix was doing so well that after practicing stairs, he was able to return home.

Felix is amazed that the events of the past week have happened. He found out about Operation Walk on the internet and never dreamed that he would be chosen for surgery. He says that this knee replacement will touch every aspect of his life. He will be able to have a full-time lecture schedule at the University, visit his daughter and grandchildren because he can now navigate stairs, and will be able to be active doing the things he enjoys like riding horses, swimming, and working in his hydroponic vegetable garden.

He had once thought he would never be able to do the things he loved again because of the pain and stiffness in his knee, but now he thinks all things are possible.