The past few weeks have transformed our lives in ways we could never have imagined. Over 15 Operation Walk missions from our teams across the US have been postponed or canceled. This has been as crushing to our medical volunteers as it is to the people we are trying to help in other countries. But today, we are all answering the call of our local health care systems to help at home.
Our Los Angeles team was days away from leaving for Managua, Nicaragua. Our cargo was in Miami, waiting to get on the final leg of its flight. We had been watching the spread of COVID-19, and were right on of the cusp of leaving, when we decided it was too risky to travel. It was a gut-wrenching decision, but we knew that we had the risk of carrying the virus to Nicaragua (who had no reported cases at that time), and that we may be stranding our team in Nicaragua, far from family, work and home. The message sent to Dra. Kenia Grillo, the hospital CEO at Escuela Roberto Calderon Hospital, was one of the hardest things I have had to do. I knew the job of disappointing the patients now fell to her. And at that moment, March 10th, we had yet to know how bad things would get. We made a hard decision not to go, but it was the right one.
In the meantime, our efforts turned to our colleagues and their patients here in the US. Several of our teams were in the process of packing for their spring missions. Mary Ellen Sieben went through the supplies we had left in our warehouse, and we distributed masks, gloves, shields, caps and gowns to our local colleagues in Los Angeles and San Diego who were running short on supplies. We were assisted by Bryan Hicks from Transgroup, to turn our cargo around and get it back home. There were items that we could syphon off and donate to local hospitals as well. Mary Ellen organized the warehouse in Torrance so it could accommodate the 17 pallets returning to us. Other Operation Walk Teams did the same, sharing supplies with their own local hospitals.
There was also a scramble by Alejandra Castillo to cancel flights, hotel, meals and ground transportation….things that had been organized for months for the Operation Walk Team’s mission.
Despite the impact of COVID-19, Operation Walk Los Angeles is committed to serving our under privileged patients in other countries, as well as people suffering from hip or knee arthritis here in the USA. Our hope is that our loyal donors will continue to give, allowing us to replenish supplies and medications when the time is right to continue our work. We will keep you updated on the rescheduling of our promised missions. We will also continue to work on our relationships here in the US with Operation Walk USA and a possible connection to help Native Americans.
Times will be tough for all of us for a while, but they will be tougher to face by people in pain and with limited mobility. Let’s not forget them.
Wishing you and your family health and safety.
Jeri and team Operation Walk Los Angeles.