When you join our group of philanthropists, you help provide life-changing surgeries to those in desperate need of a miracle. But beyond that, you help to build a bridge between donors and patients. Our Angels have the opportunity to make a direct impact on the lives of our patients, their families, and their communities.

Our Angels all are motivated by our commitment to Operation Walk, here are some of their whys.

"I remember seeing a woman just hours after surgery, the difference was remarkable. Gone was her furrowed brow and tension. Without pain, she looked relaxed, and her eyes shone with relief and gratitude. Witnessing first hand, patients walking free from pain after years of disability, will remain with me the rest of my life.”

-Kathy Goodwin

 Founding Angel

“After traveling with the Operation Walk Los Angeles team, the thing that I’m walking away with, that I just didn’t know until I watched our volunteers in action, is the commitment to the team itself and that team is what ultimately makes the operation successful.”

-Kathy Link

“Getting to see patients walk for the first time and knowing that they are taking their first steps into a new life, right before my eyes, that I am a part of it; this is my why. This is why I am an Angel and why I volunteer for every mission I can.”

-Stacy Kelso

"I’m very grateful for this opportunity and hold such respect and admiration for EVERYONE who helps to keep this mission ALIVE. The world depends on our generosity to make it a better, brighter place and the Angels are a part of that beautiful movement.”

-Ava Baldwin

"These trips, this group, and our common goal of restoring mobility reminds us of why we went into healthcare".

-Julie Anderson RN

Operation Walk for the Baldwin Bunch is a Family Affair:

During our most recent mission to Tanzania, we had the rare occurrence of three family members volunteering and working side by side. Kyle, Ava, and Kate Baldwin made the journey working in Physical Therapy, as Administrative Coordinator, and in the OR respectively. Since the inception of Operation Walk, this family has dedicated their time, talents, and service to helping restore mobility one surgery at a time. Hear how their involvement in our organization and this trip has and continues to shape their lives. 

‘SERVICE Before Self’ is the Air Force motto-as our family now has 2 sons serving in the USAF, we take this motto to heart and do our best to serve others as a daily habit. Whether it's cooking meals for the homeless shelter, dropping off goodies for an elderly neighbor, or paying for the coffee of the car behind us, we feel our best when we are in service to others. 

Since OpWalk's inception in 1997, Kyle Baldwin DPT, has been a member of the Operation Walk team providing quality and compassionate care to people both in the USA & around the world. Over the years, our 3 children, solicited walkers, canes and crutches and cleaned and dropped them at the warehouse. They had their classmates write cards and letters to patients whom they never met. They collected crayons, coloring books, candies, toiletries, sports equipment and jerseys to donate to the patients' families. Moreover, they love volunteering, knowing that it would be like Christmas with someone getting a new soccer ball or hair bows. 

In 2015 during a mission to Managua Nicaragua, Kyle brought our daughter, Kate, as a volunteer. Upon return, she saw what a difference OpWalk made in patients' lives. She too wanted to provide quality and compassionate health care around the globe, especially to those with little access and even less means to pay for it. Because of her time with Operation Walk, Kate pursued a Biological Science degree in college, applied to PA schools and is waiting for acceptances. She’s now a biomedical implant representative for Arthrex in Scottsdale, AZ. On our latest Tanzanian medical mission, the three of us experienced the joy of serving together. It was an unforgettable mission.

-Ava Baldwin

Operation Walk has been an integral part of my family for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I distinctly recall my father’s excitement to tell his kids stories from abroad, how many people he was able to help and how their lives were impacted for the better. My involvement with OpWalk began in 8th grade, the year that the organization took their first trip to Tanzania. I held several donation drives that year for walkers, canes, crutches, etc. When my dad returned home from Tanzania, I was shown photos and videos of patients utilizing my community’s donations and I knew it was something that I forever wanted to be a part of. My family has a passion for orthopedics as we’ve all been on both sides of the operating table. On my first trip to Nicaragua, I knew that was the beginning of a lifelong commitment to medicine. I wore many hats on that trip, from assisting in pre-op, observing in the OR and working right next to my Dad in physical therapy. OpWalk is a community of the most intelligent, collaborative, and humble individuals I’ve ever met. I’m honored to have been invited back to serve as a device implant representative and even more grateful that I have a family that shares in the joy of helping others. 

-Kate Baldwin 

Ava and I have been blessed in so many ways in our lives. We’ve raised our children to be generous with their time, talent, and resources. Our simple family golden rules combined with the vision of Dr. Dorr and Operation Walk have been a galvanizing force for the Baldwin Family. OpWalk has literally been a part of our family from day one. All family members have contributed in their own special way over the years. Most recently, I traveled with my wife Ava and my daughter Kate to Tanzania with Operation Walk. I worked in physical therapy, Ava as Administrative Coordinator, and Kate as an implant rep helping in the OR and the warehouse...a well-oiled machine working hand in hand with our team members to help care for Tanzanian friends and patients. 

I will admit that seeing my family work with such grace and joy was one of my proudest moments in my personal and professional life. Their servant leadership was inspiring and heartfelt. These efforts also carry momentum moving forward. We share stories and experiences that truly bring us together and make us better people. 

I am grateful for this unique opportunity to serve alongside my family members and learn from my friends and colleagues. No doubt this volunteerism will get handed down the chain to future generations in the Baldwin family. 

-Kyle Baldwin DPT

Rudy Costales, Suzette Robinson, Mary Ellen Sieben, Ploi Dejsubha, Haide Griffith and Trish Lindsay ready to assemble trays

The preparation for our mission to the Philippines continues. Our team is donating time on the weekends to make sure we have the proper equipment, materials, implants, and supplies to make this trip a success.

Two weeks ago, the call went out to our surgical technologists to inventory, check and prepare instruments for the upcoming surgeries so those trays can be transferred to a hospital for sterilization. Each step brings us closer to our goal of changing the lives of our Filipino patients and their families. Many thanks to the volunteers listed below for helping in the prep!

Lisa Fujimoto PA

John Kumar, MD

Trish Lindsey RN

Rudy Costales

Ploi Dejsubha

Haidie Griffin

Suzette Robison

Mary Ellen Sieben RN

Ana Vasquez

Potential Patient Jeffrey Busog with his wife Merly

As we gear up for our mission to the Philippines this summer, we have received several requests from locals and their families. These requests describe hardworking people whose lives have been interrupted by joint disease, damage to their knees and hips due to accidents, and other debilitating causes. One such individual is Jeffrey Busog. His wife wrote to us in January with the hope that her husband could be considered as a potential patient for our upcoming mission at our partner hospital in General Santos City. Team Leader, Lisa Fujimoto PA, coordinated with the hospital administrators to find him a place on the screening list. Jeffrey will be evaluated, like all potential patients, orthopedically and medically to see if he qualifies for surgery. Below is his story.

My name is Jeffrey Busog and I am 41 years old. I work as a security camera installer for a security company. I had known the condition of my hip when I was just 23, having felt pain since high school. My grandfather, who raised me and stood up to become my father because I came from a broken family brought me to a local faith healer but I never healed. Since then I ignored the pain thinking I got this from playing basketball. 

When I got married I told my wife about my condition and she suggested to have it checked by a doctor. The doctor advised that I needed a hip replacement but due to financial constraints, we explained that we couldn't do it for now. Life had to go on for us. I worked and had a healthy life, ignoring the pain for the sake of my family's well-being. 

In 2021, I told my wife about the increasing, terrible pain in my hip, it was unbearable but what could we do? We were in the midst of the pandemic at that time, so I endured, feeling it was my only choice. That time without my knowledge, my wife did some research about hip replacement. She joined the total hip replacement group chat and asked for advice there. One of the members mentioned Operation Walk. She had emailed all the contacts she’d seen on the website and fortunately, one replied and said they didn't have plans to go to the Philippines yet. But still, my wife subscribed to their newsletter, hoping they'd be coming here someday. In January 2024, she received a newsletter announcing they would be coming to the Philippines. She emailed all the contacts again she had seen on their website and fortunately, the social media manager, Cami Ward, forwarded her message to Ms. Lisa Fujimoto-Yamaguchi, who is a team leader of this organization. That's when the communication began.

My wife and I are so fortunate to have this communication with them. It was like God's given answer to all of our prayers. God is so good. It gives me hope. I cried when my wife told me. I never thought that she would really find a solution. She never mentioned it until she told me we would go to General Santos City to meet a doctor and have a medical check-up. To our surprise, the doctor told us it was hip dysplasia, it was congenital and developed as I aged, and now my leg was 2 centimeters shorter. We are looking forward to surgery this coming July. In fact, we are continuously doing research about the preparations and precautions needed before and after the surgery and how I could help myself recover faster. I want to recover faster. I want to go back to work without pain and regain a normal life as I have a daughter who will go to college this year. She wants to become a doctor and I want her to fulfill her dream. My wife and I had a dream to help people someday too. Through our daughter, I know our family can give and share what God has given to us. Thank you Operation Walk and to all the people who have been a part of this mission, you give hope and new life to the people. God's grace is amazing.

It is with pleasure that we introduce the Lawrence D. Dorr Operation Walk Scholarship winner for 2024, Dr. Kamran Movassaghi. This scholarship was founded by Operation Walk Los Angeles Angel and long-time donor, Ms. Paula Paulus, to honor and celebrate Dr. Dorr’s distinguished career. This scholarship grants fourth or fifth-year residents in orthopedic surgery, aspiring to specialize in joint arthroplasty, the opportunity to participate in Operation Walk’s international missions.

My name is Kamran Movassaghi and I am the current USC Adult Reconstruction Fellow. I was born and raised in Los Angeles to immigrant parents from Iran. I have one older brother who is also in medicine and helped guide me toward a similar path. 

Having played sports all of my life, from soccer to surfing to snowboarding, a large part of my life has involved movement. To me, movement means independence. It means freedom. I cannot think of a more rewarding experience than to play a role in giving patients back their capacity to live normally, to get back to the activities they enjoy and to have the freedom to move again. Every time I ruminated on that opportunity, I felt a surge of excitement and knew in my gut that orthopedics was the right path. Later in residency, I was drawn to arthroplasty due to the empathy I had toward patients who were unable to do basic tasks without pain and discomfort. The opportunity to offer these patients powerful and impactful surgeries brought me joy and something I could dedicate myself to. 

Prior to medical school, I obtained my master’s in global medicine so I knew medical missions would play a role in my future career. The multiple mission trips I had been on however mostly focused on primary and preventative care, and I was unsure how my career in orthopedics would help these causes. I learned about Operation Walk through multiple channels and I am excited to find such a perfect opportunity. Doing a fellowship at USC and working alongside Dr Dorr’s old colleagues and friends only increased my desire to be part of the organization. 

I am extremely thrilled and grateful for this experience with Operation Walk as it will be a wonderful ending to my fellowship year and transition into my career as an attending. I am humbled to have been selected as the scholarship recipient and look forward to restoring mobility to patients who otherwise would not have the means. I hope to continue my involvement with this organization and build on its wonderful legacy. 

Sharing the latest update on Sarina Parks and her campaign to collect Durable Medical Equipment for our upcoming mission to the Philippines this summer. This girl is amazing!

Hello Everyone,

I wanted to give you an update on DME collection efforts. 

Since our last communication, in addition to the VHH outpatient Orthopedic clinic and VHH Physical Medicine & Rehab center, we’ve added one more collection site: Saint Dominic Savio Church in the city of Bellflower (close to my mom’s work). With everyone’s help, so far we have collected 62 crutches, 48 walkers, 29 canes, 14 ankle boots, 9 wheelchairs, and 6 knee braces. A total of 168 pieces of donated items!

Special thanks to Dr. Gilbert, Ms. Sullivan (Director of Physical Medicine and Rehab at VHH) and Rev. Michael Gergen (St. Dominic Savio Church) who have made this collection possible.

Sincerely,

Sarina Parks

Dr. Brian Springer and Dr. Walter Beaver of OpWalk Carolinas with medical director Dr. Luis Boquin and colleague

This month we celebrate three of our sister organizations and their recent successful missions. It’s this network of teams across the United States, Canada, Thailand and Ireland that help us to support, coordinate, and restore mobility to patients in need of joint replacement surgery.

It is hard to believe that since our humble beginnings as a solo team established in 1996, that Operation Walk has grown to 20 chapters across North America, Asia, and Europe. These teams were all trained by Jeri Ward and Mary Ellen Sieben throughout the past fifteen years by their volunteers shadowing our own from Los Angeles. It’s been a pleasure to watch each team grow and thrive, carrying on the mission of restoring mobility.

Click here to read more about each team and how Dr. Lawrence Dorr influenced their approach to patient care and shaped their desire to give back to the global community.

At the beginning of March, Operation Walk Carolinas traveled to San Pedro Sula. There they worked in concert with the Instituto de Ortopedia de Honduras at Hospital Leonardo Martinez Valenzuela replacing knees and hips in patients waiting for their second chance in life. 

Operation Walk Chicago team in Ho Chi Mihn City

Several weeks later, Operation Walk Chicago, made the journey to Ho Chi Min City in Vietnam for their mission at Military Hospital 175. Their 50-plus team members thoroughly enjoyed working with the hospital staff to provide hip replacement surgery for about 45 patients, including a number of whom were bilateral (both hips) recipients.

They also sponsored an all-day nursing conference at the hospital, sharing training and instruction information on the latest practices in joint replacement procedures -- from pre-operative care through post-operative physical therapy and rehabilitation. 

And just this past week, Operation Walk Idaho finished up their annual mission to Santa Tecla El Salvador at San Rafael National Hospital. In cooperation with the staff at the hospital, they were able to complete almost 50 joint replacement surgeries in just three and a half days. Team leaders emphasized the importance of teamwork with their partner hospitals. “Our team is mainly all local healthcare workers from the Boise area who donate their time and skills to go on this trip. We all feel very lucky to serve the people of El Salvador and look forward to it every year.”

Operation Walk Idaho team members with a very happy patient

Angels

We are remembering past Operation Walk Los Angeles Angel Luncheons. This group of philanthropists not only helps to support our mission to restore mobility but also guarantees the highest level of patient care. One surgery at a time, we are changing lives.

Do you have a photo or memory to share about a past trip? Send your thoughts and images to cami@operationwalk.org and you could be featured in our next newsletter!