Throughout 2023, we have celebrated the youth movement that is sweeping through Operation Walk Los Angeles. These dedicated students have helped to collect equipment, raise funds, and volunteered their time to make sure that both our missions to the Philippines and our upcoming travels to Havana, Cuba were a success.
This month we celebrate the student volunteers who joined us in the Philippines, Erin Kairies, Ilyana Caceres, Isabella Umali-Grawe, and Sarina Parks. Mrs. Kairies and Ms. Caceres are students at Cornell College and participated in the Dimensions Program which has partnered with Operation Walk since 2005. Ms. Umali-Grawe is a recent graduate of the University of Wisconsin and on track to pursue a career in medicine. Ms. Parks is a high school senior with compassion and an interest in helping others.
We are featuring two of their first-hand experiences, first by Ms. Kairies and then followed by Ms. Parks with an introduction from Angel and volunteer, Theresa Murphy. Thank you ladies for all of your hard work and dedication to our organization.
“Our team of volunteers, as usual, was amazing: professional, hardworking and in good humor. I would like to give a special shout-out to our student volunteers who jumped in and worked as hard as anyone. No job was too small. They did it all, from interviewing patients and families, packing boxes, watching the warehouse, helping PT mobilize patients, and delivering essential supplies to the OR and the nursing floor. This was a special bunch.”
-Theresa Murphy
Elin Kairies
I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to be a part of Operation Walk and its mission to the Philippines. I applied in January 2024 of my junior year at Cornell College and was selected soon after. I wanted to volunteer because I have a history as an EMT and want to pursue a career in medicine. I’ve also been weightlifting for the past 3-4 years which has given me a love for the human body and movement. Every day I get up and go to the gym to work on my mobility and strength. When this opportunity came up, I thought about my reliance on movement and how I don’t think about getting out of bed or how lucky I am to be able to move around. Thinking about people who are in constant pain doing simple things like walking was something I wanted to help with. I wanted to be a part of something that helps people have a new normal.
I had no idea how much this trip would change me. I went from knowing little about orthopedics and surgery to now thinking about looking into it as a career. I met amazing doctors, nurses, PTs, other volunteers and healthcare workers in the Philippines who showed me a different side of medicine. I discovered new ways of patient interaction and of looking at the world. From time spent in the hospital to group dinners, I got to learn about my colleagues and their lives. It’s given me the ability to empathize with future patients and a better understanding of cultures. It has also given me amazing new friends that I still talk to almost daily.
While in the Philippines, two patients stuck out for me. There was a biology teacher in her mid-30s who needed a bilateral hip replacement. As I talked to her after her surgery and watched her walk pain-free for the first time, I got so emotional. She expressed her gratitude and looked thrilled to be able to walk normally. That’s when it really kicked in for me. Another patient was a man in his early 40s who also needed hip surgery. I talked to him and his wife for at least an hour. She told me that she researched hip replacement surgery for months before finding Operation Walk. She was dedicated to finding a way to help her husband walk pain-free. She didn’t tell him she was looking for treatment until she found out OpWalk was coming to General Santos City. It was amazing to see the smile on their faces as she told the story.
While I was working, surgeons Dr. Spitzer, Dr. Heckmann, and Don Shimabukuro PT helped me learn. They answered all of my questions with joy and enthusiasm, explaining the ins and outs of orthopedics and physical therapy. All three interacted with me in and out of the OR, providing an amazing overall experience. It was also a privilege to see them interact with their patients. The joy on our patients’ faces when one of the doctors came in to check on them after their operation was unmatched. When Don would first go say hello and start on their PT, joy lit up the room. Every patient was so happy and amazed they could walk. He was so encouraging and instilled confidence in his patients, I would love to work with all three of these men again in the future.
Sarina Parks
I arrived in the Philippines not knowing what to expect. I was hesitant about what someone like me, with limited medical knowledge or skill, could offer, but I was excited about all I would see and learn.
I met many patients, and every patient interaction was unique.
However, an emotional encounter stood out to me on this trip. One day, during my regular volunteer duties, my dad (one of the Anesthesiologists on this trip) came looking for me to take me to a patient who wanted to meet me. I was puzzled but followed him. In the physical therapy area, I saw a cute older lady, leaning on a walker and holding a cane that I immediately recognized: a purple cane with bright pink and purple flowers. I had spotted this very cane in my garage back at home among many other DME that I had collected specifically for this trip. The lady was very kind and had a warm smile. She thanked me for helping raise medical equipment. She said that her walker and her cane helped her during physical therapy, allowing her to walk again. She told me that it was her birthday a few days ago, and she considered the surgery, PT, and equipment she received as her birthday presents. She was SO grateful. This is when I realized that my simple act of DME collection actually meant a lot to her and that even someone like me with limited medical knowledge and skills CAN make a difference. This realization was both powerful and emotional.
In addition to meaningful patient interactions, I experienced kind hospitality, formed friendships, and felt like a valued member of a great team. Above all, I saw the power of what people can do when they come together with one goal and one mission in mind. This trip was also eye-opening, making me realize that many people in the world have limited access to healthcare and vital services that we take for granted in the US. I am now grateful for all the privileges I have in my life. I walk away from this mission trip with many lessons and a clearer idea of what I want to do in my life. I am more certain than ever that a profession in healthcare is the right path for me, as it will allow me to serve and make an impactful difference in others’ lives.
I turned 17 during this trip. This birthday and this trip are moments that I will remember for the rest of my life. Thank you, OpWalk, for giving me this life-changing opportunity.