Twenty-nine years ago, our mission began. A mission to restore mobility to underserved patients around the world, one surgery at a time. It's been an incredible journey, one that continues today.

That journey started in Havana. This fall, we will be undertaking our 11th mission with our colleagues in Cuba. During our missions in Havana, we’ve worked in three hospitals and replaced 547 joints. OpWalk has given hundreds of Cuban patients a second chance at life and we are just getting started.

Join us in changing lives by donating to our upcoming mission. Each dollar helps us to alleviate pain, restore mobility, and give freedom of movement to a patient desperately waiting for your help. 

Thank you for your support, we couldn’t do it without you.

“There is no Operation Walk without successful missions, and we will accomplish that again this year. We have challenges but the journey of 1000 miles begins with the first step. Today the first step is to go great work for the patients in Cuba!”

Dr. William Long

Co-Medical Director

SWIM team in action. Spring 2025.

Last year, a dedicated team of seventh-grade students from Westside Neighborhood School made Operation Walk the focus for their SPLASH (Solving Problems for Los Angeles' Society and Health) project. During that year, they learned about our organization, assisted in packing supplies, raised funds, and created discharge kits for our missions to both the Philippines and Cuba.

This year, Haley Ahir, Ethan Chang, Alex Melendez, and Madison Yamaguchi are in 8th grade and have transitioned to their SWIM team. The students continue their efforts to support our organization and have added gathering durable medical equipment for our Cuban patients to their list of accomplishments.

Even though they are too young to volunteer on a mission, they continue to make a difference, share our vision, and build a network of new philanthropists in our city. Below is an update on their latest project.

The WNS (Westside Neighborhood School) SWIM (Solutionary Work In Motion) team—Madison Yamaguchi, Ethan Chang, Haley Ahir, and Alex Melendez—designed and assembled post-op bags filled with essential toiletries for patients in Cuba. They also contributed by packing cargo and organizing donated durable medical equipment (DME) collected from Verdugo Hills Hospital’s Rehabilitation Department and Orthopedic Clinic.

In 2022, following our mission to Havana, Cuba, I received a message from David Diaz. The young man explained that he'd been suffering for over ten years from pain and had lost his ability to walk. He had tried in vain to find help in his community, but due to a lack of resources, his best efforts had come up empty. At 32 and a father of three young children, David feared his life would be defined by his wheelchair. He wrote that our organization gave him hope and could we please find a way to help him. Through two years of coordination between team leaders, staff and coordinators at Hospital Fructuoso, David, and myself, we were finally able to meet in person last November.

Below, in his own words, is the story of his journey to freedom.

-Cami Ward

David walking with Alan and Ramon two days after bilateral hip replacements.

In 2010, I suffered a crisis of severe lumbar pain, which kept me from being able to stand for over a week. Little did I know that it would start a pattern of pain and loss of freedom.

As time passed, the events became more frequent and lasted longer. I went to see specialists who suggested treatments such as medications, acupuncture, ozone and magnetic treatments, electrical currents to stimulate my muscles, physical therapy, and targeted exercises. They were all in vain. The episodes kept coming and so did the pain.

In 2020, my situation worsened, and I was unable to walk unassisted, having to use canes and taking up to twelve pills a day to muddle through the intensity of the pain. I was experiencing limitations that constricted my physical abilities and didn’t allow me to live a common, ordinary life. Going to work, leaving my home to shop or visit friends, helping my family, and taking care of my own children were all out of reach. The simple acts of bathing, sitting in a chair, and going to bed at night were almost impossible for me.

I was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis in 2021, an inflammatory condition affecting the spine and joints, which connect the pelvis to the lower spine. It had advanced to both of my hips, making it necessary for both joints to be replaced. I looked for opportunities for surgery at several hospitals in the country but was told each time that they did not have the resources to help me. I had almost given up hope until March of 2022.

This is when I discovered Operation Walk. I learned that the organization helps people, who like me, need hip and knee replacement in underserved areas. I was desperate to contact them and hoped beyond hope that they were the answer to my prayers.

I began writing to them and to Hospital Fructuoso Rodriguez until 2024, when my dream came true and I received a bilateral hip replacement. I did suffer some postoperative complications from a hairline fracture in my femur, which delayed the start of my rehabilitation.

Today, almost six months after both of my hips were replaced, I feel quite good. I still experience pain in my muscles, but those pains are unrelated to the ones I had before surgery. I think I am more sensitive to regular aches and pains now, because I no longer have to take pills for pain like I did previously.

I continue my daily rehabilitation processes. I still need to regain elasticity and strength in my muscles, which will eliminate the pains I mentioned above. Some days I walk with a cane but other days I walk better inside my home without one.

Thank you, Operation Walk, for helping me to regain my life. With the gift of surgery and I am on the road to recovery. Millions of thanks and blessings to everyone, the volunteers and donors who make these miracles possible.

David Diaz

Bilateral Hip Replacement

Cuba, 2024

David walking today, 6 months after bilateral hip replacement

As we look ahead to our highly anticipated Angels Luncheon, we are reminded once again of how deeply our community believes in the mission of Operation Walk Los Angeles. This year’s luncheon is especially meaningful as it supports our upcoming surgical mission to Cuba in 2025—a mission that will restore mobility, dignity, and hope to dozens of individuals who otherwise would not have access to life-changing joint replacement surgery. 

Today, we spotlight the generous businesses and individuals who have donated gifts to make our Angels Luncheon raffle an unforgettable experience. 

Kendra Scott Jewelry has gifted us with a breathtaking mother-of-pearl necklace and earring set, a piece as timeless as the generosity it represents. Known for their commitment to giving back, Kendra Scott has once again shown how style and philanthropy can go hand in hand. 

Forgotten Rarities donated a truly one-of-a-kind gemstone statement necklace—a bold and dazzling piece that reflects the uniqueness and strength of the women we serve and those who stand behind them.

PRP Wines and the always generous wine consultant, Jeffrey Shapiro, contributed two in-home wine tasting experiences. These tastings promise to be a joyful celebration of community, connection, and the simple pleasures that make life meaningful. 

The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens have gifted two admission tickets, offering a day of inspiration, reflection, and natural beauty. Whether wandering through the lush gardens or exploring world-class art and rare books, this gift provides the perfect escape. 

Medical supplies and pharmaceuticals provided by Kingsway Charities. Their generous donations ensure that our surgical team has the tools and resources necessary to deliver the highest standard of care.

Each of these contributions plays a crucial role in helping us reach our fundraising goals, and more importantly, in bringing healing and hope to the communities we serve. 

Thank you for standing with us. Together, we are changing lives by restoring mobility — one step, one surgery, and one act of kindness at a time. 

Roshy Khorsand 

“I don’t know how to express it.

I never expected these surprises in my life. May God bless you all, Angel members, for the love, support, and care you have given us.

We are all thankful and we wish you the very best.”

Diana’s Mama

Diana and her mother with volunteer Pablo Ortega.

These are words from a thankful mother during our 2023 mission to Arusha, Tanzania. Her daughter, Diana, received a hip replacement, but had traveled to Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre by bus from Dar es Salaam, which was over 10 hours away. Diana’s mother was concerned for her daughter. Riding on the bus for that distance is difficult when you are in your best health. How was she able to travel that far just after surgery?

This is where our Angel volunteers stepped in. Together, Kathy Link, Pablo Ortega, and Camilla Ward coordinated a private van for Diana and her mother, along with another patient, to travel home in safety and comfort. Both families were overcome with emotion. In just a week, two seemingly impossible tasks-receiving surgery and returning home, had been accomplished.

Our Angels not only provide life-changing joint replacement surgery, but also help to increase our team’s ability to provide individualized patient care, such as transportation, footwear, supplementary items such as shoe-lifts, and other touches that help in recovery.

Join our group of Angels today and help to change lives and provide care and kindness around the world. Click on the link below for information.

We are waiting for you. Together, let’s make a difference.

“Mothers are like glue. Even when you can't see them, they're still holding the family together.”

- Susan Gayle.

We love this quote because it describes our volunteers perfectly. Operation Walk is lucky to have dedicated team members who are also dedicated mothers. They are raising their children and grandchildren to be caring, dedicated and hard-working members of the global community. 

For almost thirty years, these amazing women have balanced their careers, personal lives, and motherhood while helping us to change one life at a time through joint replacement surgery. They have taught their sons and daughters how to give back through volunteering their time, talents, and funds to help make our world a more equitable, just and harmonious place.

Thank you to all our wonderful moms, grandmothers, aunts, and godmothers for holding us all together. We send you our love and thanks for helping us be the best humans we can be.