Viviana volunteering in 2024
Some people may ask, how great a difference can joint replacement surgery make in a person’s life? In two years, what really can change so profoundly that it affects a person’s entire path, the people around them, and their community?
Viviana’s story is a story that answers both of those questions and more. In 2022, Viviana came to us, unable to walk unassisted and unable to have a productive life where she was an active part of her community. After undergoing bilateral hip surgery and dedicating the following two years to her rehabilitation, we had the honor of Viviana returning to Hospital Fructuoso, not just to visit but to be a volunteer with our team. Living the experience that our prospective patients were about to have, she was an invaluable instrument of knowledge, comfort and inspiration.
Thank you, Viviana, for spending the week with us at Hospital Fructuoso and for returning to greet the patients this past week for their 2-week evaluations. Through you, we can extend the patient care we began on November 8th and continue to watch the miracles that joint replacement surgery can produce.
“My life has taken a 180-degree turn. Two months after my surgery, I started working online with a U.S. company that specializes in wellness, health, and weight loss, which allows me to generate income from home. I am currently a member of an animal rescue and welfare association, working to rescue and adopt stray animals and also supporting the care of the animals at the Havana Zoo.
I’ve created a WhatsApp group for patients who have undergone surgery or are waiting for surgery, where we provide emotional support and have had the pleasure of communicating with Operation Walk patients from other countries. One of the experiences I have enjoyed most in these two years has been spending these days with you all at Hospital Fructuoso. Being able to help as a volunteer and continue following up with patients has been incredible. I have a special connection with them because your team knows what a damaged hip or knee looks like, but I know how it feels. The pain, the fear, and the frustration of feeling trapped in your own body—I lived with that for many years.
If my story serves as a testimony for people to see all the good that comes after surgery, how life is recovered and enjoyed, and if it helps people understand the importance of donations so that dreams can continue to be restored, then all the waiting and pain endured will have been worth it.”
Viviana, in 2022, after bilateral hip surgery