Once again, the next generation of philanthropists joined together to make a difference. Just before the New Year, the Venice Ravens basketball team assembled post-op bags for patients in the Philippines. Each bag was packed with care and personalized with the OpWalk logo.
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Aamer Malik, MD, not only wants to improve orthopaedic expertise in his native Africa, but he wants to keep it there. That’s why, in addition to serving as Chief of the Hip Unit at the Hospital Universitari Sagrat Cor in Barcelona and Tutor for orthopaedic resident education, he also makes two trips to Zanzibar each year. Through the Neurosurgery Education and Development Foundation’s Orthopaedic Program, he coordinates surgical missions in East Africa to expand orthopaedic education there. It’s a commitment he learned from his mentor, the late Lawrence D. Dorr, MD, who not only taught him about hip and knee surgery but also the importance of giving back.
“In Africa, we give people the capacity to take care of their children, go back to work, and integrate into society in a way that is very fulfilling,” he continued. “It’s really magical to perform a surgery and see how a patient who was unwell becomes well within six weeks. That patient can go back to a normal life.”
Meet Sarina Parks, a student volunteer slated to travel with the Operation Walk Los Angeles team on their mission to the Philippines in 2024, and learn why volunteering with our organization is personal.
Introducing Student Volunteer, Sarina Parks
Why I want to volunteer with Operation Walk
My husband, Jason and I were first-time attendees at the Operation Walk Los Angeles Annual Gala this past October. We were invited by my father Bruce Brereton and his wife Joan. My father has had two knee replacements, so we know how much surgery can change someone’s life.
It was a treasure to learn more about the miracles the team and organization are doing. It touched our hearts and made a great impact.
What did you do during your summer vacation? If you were Cornell College juniors, Elinor Handlin and Samantha See, you traveled halfway around the world, spent twelve hours days at a hospital, and volunteered for a week-long medical mission that restored mobility through joint replacement surgery.
Operation Walk has had a long-standing partnership with Cornell College and its pre-healthcare program, Dimensions. Cornell College being Dr. Dorr’s undergrad alma mater, he wanted to involve students at the ground level, experiencing healthcare in its truest form. These two incredible young women applied to the program and were rewarded with a week’s worth of hands-on learning, seeing each part of our organization in action.
Trish LindseyHello everyone, I’m Trish Lindsey and I work as an Operating Room Registered Nurse, specializing in the field of orthopedic surgery.
My commitment to improving the lives of those in need of joint replacement surgery is evident in my work with Operation Walk. During these missions, I volunteer my time and share my skills to help provide free surgeries to patients in developing countries. I’ve focused on working as an operating room nurse, particularly in the areas of orthopedics, neuro/spine, and behavioral health. The passion I feel for working in orthopedic surgery is matched only by my compassion for others. My life’s mission is to make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate.
Operation Walk has had a long-standing partnership with Cornell College and its pre-healthcare program, Dimensions. Cornell College being Dr. Dorr’s undergrad alma mater, he wanted to involve students at the ground level, experiencing healthcare in its truest form. We are happy to continue this tradition and educational opportunity during our next mission trip to Arusha this summer. We are pleased to introduce Samantha See as one of our two student volunteers.
We are so happy to welcome the newest member of our Operation Walk Los Angeles Family, Office Manager, Glenda Flores.
Hello, I am Dr. Omid Jalali and was born and raised in Irvine California. I have one older sister who I look up to greatly. My father worked as a GPS engineer and my mother worked in insurance.
In addition to my devotion to academics, I’ve always been heavily involved in athletics. Ultimately, soccer was my passion and I was recruited as a scholarship athlete to the University of California at Berkeley. During my time there, I continued to be active in both academics and athletics, obtaining my degree in undergraduate business administration at the Haas School of Business in addition to completing all pre-med coursework and applying to medical school before the completion of my four years.
For husband and wife team, Kathy and Richard Link, their call to service is a matter of faith.
“Growing up in my family it was expected for all of us to give back to our community. When I came to faith it gave me a different perspective of what ‘giving back’ meant. Helping others means the most to me in my life. I want to use my talents to help others and make a difference in the world.”
These words struck a chord with me when I spoke with the Links during a recent phone interview. Rich and Kathy will be joining us on our mission to Arusha, Tanzania this August and they couldn’t be more excited.
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Dr. Steve Meyer is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon raised on a small farm in Northwest Iowa and is currently practicing Orthopedics at CNOS in Sioux City Iowa. As founder and president of the Siouxland Tanzania Educational Medical Ministry, Dr. Steve has been the recipient of both the AAOS and AAHKS Humanitarian Award as well as a State of Iowa Volunteer Hall of Fame recipient.
