When you join our group of philanthropists, you help provide life-changing surgeries to those in desperate need of a miracle. But beyond that, you help to build a bridge between donors and patients. Our Angels have the opportunity to make a direct impact on the lives of our patients, their families, and their communities.
Our Angels all are motivated by our commitment to Operation Walk, here are some of their whys.
In 2019, Armando had reached a standstill. Both of his knees no longer cooperated, and walking was increasingly difficult. Armando relates that the damage to his knees was probably related to his military service. After military life, he worked primarily for the Department of Transportation, monitoring worker organization and salaries. This job required him to ride a motorcycle from town to town. Admittedly, this did not help his damaged knees.
As the years passed, the damage increased due to wear and tear. He consulted with local hospitals, but then the Pandemic struck. It wasn’t until January 2022 that he connected with Hospital Fructuoso Rodríguez Orthopedic and learned that an organization called Operation Walk would be visiting in April. He submitted his application for screening at this point.
Armando’s first steps after bilateral knee replacement
On April 1, during our patient screening, Armando remembers that each patient was seen one by one by the “American Specialists”, and he was #30 on the list. When his turn came, he was evaluated by one of our teams that included Dr. Steve Barnett. That afternoon, Armando was given the news that he’d be admitted the following day and receive bilateral knee surgery.
Two days later, Armando claimed that he was a new person. He greeted Dr. Barnett and his staff and showed them his new mobility. He was discharged the following day. “A total blessing on this institution. I can’t believe what a difference surgery made in such a short amount of time.” Armando recalls. He returned to his home in Santa Clara and continued his physical therapy. He says that almost two years have passed, and each day walking is a blessing. He explained, “There are still some small discomforts, but nothing to do with how I felt before. Operation Walk makes it possible for one to return to life.”
Armando hiking in the mountains with his family, two years after double knee replacementToday he can do activities that were out of reach due to his physical limitations. He can take care of his home, run errands, and spend time with his family – all things that were out of reach before his surgeries. Two of his favorite activities are going hiking with his family in the mountains near Trinidad, Cuba, and playing with his granddaughter.
“Because of Operation Walk – these things, all things, are possible.”
We wanted to share the progress of two patients operated on our 2023 mission to Arusha, Tanzania. Both Innocent and Amina are doing well and finding a rhythm to their lives after joint replacement surgery.
In the next few months, we will be exploring the family connection within the Operation Walk organization. Team members have often raised their children in our community and emphasized the importance of volunteerism, service, compassion and giving back to both the local and the global community. These second-generation volunteers bring a new energy, spirit, and vision to Operation Walk. Often young volunteers go into the field of health care to become the new face of medicine.
This month’s story features the Holsbeke family. Matt Holsbeke NP and his wife, Sandy Holsbeke PT, have been active members of our team for almost twenty years. They’ve dedicated many hours to fundraising, organizing and participating in mission trips around the world. Matt explains his commitment.
These past few months we’ve featured young volunteers who are stepping up to be the next generation of volunteers for Operation Walk Los Angeles. We’re happy to introduce University of Wisconsin-Madison student, Isabella Umali-Grawe. We thank Isabella in advance for taking time to out of her busy schedule during midterms to share information about herself, her goals after graduation, and why it is important for her to volunteer on our upcoming mission to the Philippines this summer.
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This past summer during our recent mission to Arusha, Tanzania, we had the honor of meeting Juliana and her daughter, Josepha.
Juliana and Josepha live in the countryside about an hour and a half outside of Arusha. Juliana used to travel by bus, a three-hour round trip to Arusha, six days a week to work at her job in a textile mill. She worked at the factory for over twenty years before the onset of osteoarthritis in her knees started to slow her down both on her travels into the city and at her job.
Since 1987, Project C.U.R.E has been delivering life-saving medical equipment and supplies to hospitals and clinics throughout the world. They are the world’s largest distributor of donated international medical relief, touching lives in over 135 countries.
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Congratulations to our volunteers from Kaiser Permanente on earning the Kaiser Permanente David Lawrence Community Service Award for outstanding volunteer action. This award named in honor of Dr. David Lawrence, former CEO of Kaiser Permanente and lifelong advocate of improving health worldwide, recognizes individuals and groups that demonstrate extraordinary efforts to improve the health of local communities and beyond. Read more
We wanted to share the progress of our student volunteer, Sarina Parks and her continued efforts to collect items to help our patients during our 2024 mission to the Philippines.
Thank you, Sarina, for your dedication and hard work! We can’t wait to hear more.
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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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When we first met Bryant, he was a twenty-one-year-old young man who had gone from a promising athlete to being confined to a wheelchair. Rheumatoid arthritis had frozen both of his hips and his future looked bleak.
Bryant was given a choice or receiving a bilateral hip replacement or to remain as he was with restricted movement. He took a leap of faith and had surgery and got a new chance at life.
Today we are so happy to hear that he is doing amazingly well. Here are messages from both him and his mother, letting us know how surgery can change a life.
“Greetings to everyone there, I don’t remember the names very well, but I do remember everyone who helped me through the most difficult moment of my life.
Several young people like me who are here in Cuba have written to me to give them strength because they are here with cases similar to mine without being able to walk, I help them, and I like that. I like that I can give them hope.
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| Bryant – One day after surgery | One year after surgery |
Now I am not afraid of anything. I am happy
I am self-employed. I have a kiosk selling jams and looking for merchandise and things like that on my motorcycle.
Thank God and you who saved my life, I am eternally grateful.”
Bryant Pedro Sunol
“Every day I thank God for putting you on our path and allowing my son to walk again.
His life took a radical change from the minute you performed the miracle in the operating room.
I am more than grateful to you for making my son have a better life.”
Zenia Sunol Gomez
