By Dr. John Kumar, Orthopedic Surgeon @ Kaiser Permanente, Downey
Operation Walk Board Member & Team Surgeon

Q:I was advised to get a hip/ knee replacement- how long will the implant last? 

A:You should expect the current implants to last 20 years or more.

Q:How do I know WHEN I need to get a joint replaced? 

A:Consider a joint replacement when your pain is limiting your ability to function on a day-to-day basis. If you have arthritis, find yourself avoiding activities because of pain, and no other treatments are working you should consider joint replacement surgery.

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Small acts can make a great impact in both our mission to #restoremobility and in life. Many thanks to Lisa Fujimoto and her daughter, Madison, for sharing this story with us!

“My daughter, Madison’s basketball team, the Venice Ravens, joined together to assemble 60 post-op bags this past weekend for patients in Tanzania. I personalized the canvas bags by ironing on the OpWalk logo. The girls were in charge of securing the toiletry items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, lotion, shampoo, and conditioner. Dr Paul and Cindy Gilbert took time out of their busy schedule to do a special zoom session to thank the girls, talk to them about Operation Walk and explain our mission to restore mobility around the world. The girls will also help pack on Cargo packing day!”

-Lisa Fujimoto
Physician Assistant and long-time volunteer

There’s still time to make a tax-deductible donation to help Operation Walk reach its 2022 goal of $500,000. When this goal is achieved, your donations will cover the full cost of our 2023 mission trip to Tanzania.

Please Remember Operation Walk in your end of year charitable contributions. Donate now!

Questions? Contact Marion@operationwalk.org

Thank you so much for your help to #restoremobility around the world. We couldn’t do it without you!

By Cami Ward, Social Media Coordinator

What we do in life, we often do for our children.

This was 34-year-old Yasmany Arcia’s motivation to seek help. Yasmany works as a rancher and for the past three years, he’s been unable to fully tend to his ranch because of the piercing pain in his right hip. A typical day has him on horseback for hours and recently he hasn’t been able to ride. Not being able to ride, tend to his cattle, and take care of his ranch has been a great setback. His hip greatly affected his sleep. Due to the pain, it was difficult to lie down and rest, which is crucial do being able to perform his duties on the ranch. The worst part to Yasmany was that he was unable to play with his little girl. At age five, Astri didn’t understand why her father couldn’t play with her and was in constant pain. Desperate, he looked to Operation Walk for help.
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By Jeri Ward, RN

Question: How do I know when I need to see a doctor regarding a hip/knee replacement?

Answer: Joint pain becomes more common as we become more active and with age. If you have hip or knee pain, there are steps you can take to help resolve it. After taking these steps, if there is no improvement, you should see an orthopedic surgeon for an evaluation.

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Hello! My name is Marion, and I will be working in an administrative capacity with Operation Walk answering phones, maintaining the office paperwork, and taking donations. I have been working in a CPA office for the past six years where I continue to work part-time.
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Operation Walk Los Angeles is excited to welcome Ava Baldwin to our team as our new Coordinator. She will ensure the successful communication between the Board Members, the volunteer teams, the donors, and the hospital staff and coordinators both at home and abroad.
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It is with great pleasure that I assume the role of President of the Board for the Los Angeles Chapter of Operation Walk. We continue with a solid and dedicated Board. The passing of Dr. Lawrence Dorr, our founder, and the pandemic present us with the challenge of keeping the passion. I can tell you with this Board, all our volunteers and you, this is not a problem.
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Operation Walk counts with the support of dozens of dedicated, long-time volunteers. But we also love welcoming first-time volunteers and hearing their perspective on our teamwork and mission. And of course, we hope the new volunteers keep coming back!

Andrew Chhen is a circulating nurse in the operating room who joined us for the first time in Cuba, during the April 2022 trip at Hospital Fructuoso Rodriguez. He writes:
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Thanks to the technology at our fingertips, we are able to receive real-time updates from patients about their recovery post-surgery. Saray T. was one of the patients selected for surgery during our April medical mission in Havana, Cuba. She sent us this message of gratitude, along with a video of her walking one month after her surgery. She writes:
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