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.”
Today 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.”
Armando hiking in the mountains with his family, two years after double knee replacement