Electronic Newsletter: May 2022
Dr. Dan Chivas, Ploi Dejsubha, Suzette Robinson, Dr. Eric Basler, Kristen Lake Ross, Brian Boulanger, Bert Fuller, P.A., Jay Torres, Dr. Russell Bodner, and Lisa Fujimoto-Yamaguchi outside the hospital in Havana
Table of Contents
  1. Annual Angels Luncheon
  2. Our 2022 Trip to Cuba
  3. Preparing for Guatemala 2022
  4. Save the Date: Annual Gala
  5. Angels in the Room
  6. Operation Walk USA: Patient Portal Now Open
  7. Meet Bryan - An Operation Walk Video
Annual Operation Walk
Angels Luncheon
Our 2022 Annual Angels Luncheon is fast approaching. We will be gathering on May 11th at Annandale Golf Club in Pasadena, California. Invitations have been sent and we are looking forward to seeing all of you and your guests.
Your annual $1,000.00 Angel contribution goes directly to help a patient in need of life changing joint replacement surgery and includes an invitation to the luncheon. Operation Walk Angels receive exclusive updates during our mission trips and are connected directly to the patient their donation will benefit.

We are excited to show you a sneak peek of the twelve beautiful Raffle Baskets donated by fellow Angels. Each basket is unique and will be raffled during the luncheon. 

While most of our baskets are only available to those present at the luncheon, two special items are eligible to be won by the public. Tickets are available now on our website and will be sold through May 10th.

Tickets for the raffle cost $20 each or 6 tickets for $100. All proceeds go directly to helping restore mobility to those who are in desperate need of joint replacement surgery.

Not an Angel but interested in joining us in our support of Operation Walk’s mission to restore mobility? Please email Alejandra Castillo at alejandra@operationwalk.org or call (424) 558-8076 to request an invitation if you have not already received one, or to join the Angels today.

Thank you for helping us expand the reach of this special philanthropic group!


A special thanks to our raffle donors:
Jill Baffert 
Ava Baldwin 
Miriam Cameron, M.D. 
Alejandra Castillo 
Marilyn Dorr 
Eagles Production Team 
Lisa Fujimoto-Yamaguchi, P.A. 
Marlene Keys 
Pradeep John Kumar, M.D. 
Carolyn Miller
Jennifer Okuno, P.T. 
Vince and Ann Pham 
Nan Rae 
Don Shimabukuro, P.T. 
Marla Smith 
Aneesah Smith, M.D. 
Vivienne Uytana, P.T. 
Jeri Ward, R.N.
Cami Ward 
12 Angels Luncheon Raffle Baskets:
Reading Basket:
Wine, books, gift card, hot chocolate, mug, snacks, and more.
Kitchen Goodies Basket: Williams Sonoma gift card, cookbook, wine, wine glass, chocolate, canned goodies, and more.
Sewing Basket:
Sewing kit, sewing box, tea, mug, earrings, and more.
Hand-crafted Basket:
Vietnamese silk scarves, hand-made glass plate, and a wine tote bag.
Cuban Goodies Basket:
Cuban rum, cigars, mini-cigars, CD’s, Varadero canvas print, and souvenirs.
Touch of Tucson Basket:
Talavera Pottery Basket, matte glazed frog and bird, Raku Angel totem, Barrel Cactus yard art, prickly pear jelly, Tucson spice blends, and 2 prickly pear chocolate bars.
Pamper Yourself Basket:
Candles, Bath Salts, Beauty Headband and more.
Home Basket:
Olive wood salad bowl, decorative glass beads, Nest New York grapefruit diffuser and candle, Etsy gift certificate for custom illustrated portrait by Minjee Kang and framing from Dan's Custom Framing in Pasadena.
Beach Basket:
Coleman outdoor blanket, Aloha tote bag, Sun-Bum sunscreen, Hydro Flask, PackTowl fast-drying beach towel, coconut strips.
Julie Vos Jewelry:
Julie Vos necklace and bracelet matching set.
Nan Rae Books, Cards, and Scarves:
Two silk scarves, set of books and cards.
Designer Fashion Basket:
Top by Hawaiian fashion designer featured during a recent runway show in Paris and a Spa Luxetique handbag.
Grand Prize Items
(open to the public)
Grand Prize
Tickets available online now. Winner does not need to be present at the Angels luncheon.
Grand Prize
Tickets available online now. Winner does not need to be present at the Angels luncheon.
Our 2022 Trip to Cuba
This April, Operation Walk Los Angeles returned to Cuba after three years of not operating there. Our Cuban colleagues at Hospital Ortopédico Docente Fructuoso Rodríguez welcomed us with open arms, and together we operated and rehabilitated 44 patients who had been suffering from joint pain and limited mobility for years.
Post-op patients gather for a group photo in front of the
"Dr. Lawrence D. Dorr In Memoriam" banner
Our team was mindful of the fact that we were still traveling during a global pandemic, and the health and safety of our team, colleagues, and patients, was of utmost importance. On this trip, we welcomed 17 new volunteers, all of whom rose up to the challenge and learned and adapted quickly to the Operation Walk pace. Over 3 and a half days, 44 patients received new joints and all recovered successfully.
Don Shimabukuro, P.T. working with a patient
Suzette Robinson, Bert Fuller, P.A. and Dr. Roberto Balmaseda in surgery
Patient holds up her x-rays before and after surgery
Cami Ward, our Social Media Manager, has been hard at work after our trip, writing articles about our patients and our first-time volunteers. Those stories will be highlighted in future newsletters, but you can also read them now on our social media pages below.

Thank you to our team of 52 volunteers for donating your time, professional skills, and resources to make this trip possible:
Aaron Myles
Dr. Abdoulla Chakhbazov
Alan Gutierrez, R.N.
Alejandra Castillo
Ana Vasquez
Andrew Chhen, R.N.
Dr. Aneesah Smith
Angel C. Delgado Vasquez
Audra Kennedy, CRNA
Bertram B. Fuller, P.A.
Brian Boulanger
Brian Marshall
Dr. Bryan Chan
Cami Ward
Dr. Cynthia Henderson
Dr. Daniel Chivas
Dr. David Bindelglass
Don Shimabukuro, P.T.
Edwin Eduardo Abreu Jr.
Dr. Eric Basler
Jacinto Jayson Torres, R.N.
Jennifer Okuno, P.T.
Joseph Rangel
Julie Kuta
Julie Anderson, R.N.
Kelley Laughlin
Kristen Lake Ross, R.N.
Lisa Fujimoto-Yamaguchi, P.A.
Martha Linehan, P.A.
Mary Ellen Sieben, R.N.
Matthew Sandusky
Matthew Holsbeke, R.N.
Dr. Maxine Anderson
Michelle Burdette, R.N.
Dr. Miriam Cameron
Paulina Andujo, R.N.
Philippe Lindsey
Ploi Dejsubha
Dr. Pradeep John Kumar
Racquelle Ranan Tugade Thieling, R.N.
Richard Vidaud, CRNA
Dr. Russell Bodner
Sandra Holsbeke, P.T.
Sharron Whiteley, R.N.
Stacy Kelso
Dr. Steven Barnett
Suzette Robinson
Treanna Mather, P.A.
Tricia Torres Barajas, R.N.
Trina Ingalls, R.N.
William Linehan
Dr. William Long

A special thank you to our host, Dr. Roberto Balmaseda, and his team for making us feel at home. We look forward to working together again.
Operation Walk Los Angeles Team, Cuba 2022
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel shakes hands with Operation Walk Co-lead Surgeon, Dr. William T. Long
Prensa Latina article: "Cuban President thanks Operation Walk for its work"
"During the gathering, the President stressed that this organization´s support to Cuba for the past 25 years reinforces the friendship between the two nations."

Cuban news site "Cuba Debate" also featured an article about Operation Walk
"Si miras la primera foto, hace 25 años y la comparas con la de hoy, verás cómo hemos crecido, nos dice el cirujano estadounidense William Long."

Dr. Balmaseda, Dr. Chakhbazov, Dr. Kumar, Lisa Fujimoto-Yamaguchi, P.A. and Ana Vasquez screen a patient for surgery
Preparing for Guatemala 2022
Just one week after returning from Cuba, our Team Leaders traveled to Antigua, Guatemala in preparation for our August medical mission at Hospital Obras del Santo Hermano Pedro.

We were received warmly by Surgical Director, Dr. Julissa Pineda, and Brigades Coordinator, Anabella Morales. We were beyond impressed upon seeing the upgraded facilities in the OR that will enable this hospital to host more medical teams and to help more patients year-round.

Now that we are back in Los Angeles, our focus has fully shifted to the Guatemala mission. We are confident that our team members will do an excellent job there and that we will help reduce that long waitlist of patients who need a joint-replacement in Guatemala.

As always, we will be bringing you updates about our Guatemala 2022 mission and we hope you can continue to donate and support Operation Walk Los Angeles to make more trips like this possible.
Left to right: Mary Ellen Sieben, R.N.,
Conchita, R.N., Dr. Paul Gilbert, Anabella
Morales, and Susie Heinrichs, P.A.
Team leaders touring the patient wards and OR facilities at Hospital Obras del Santo Hermano Pedro
SAVE THE DATE:
Operation Walk Annual Gala
We recently had to change the date of our annual Operation Walk Gala. Please mark your calendars with the new date: October 22, 2022.

The venue is still Annandale Golf Club in Pasadena, California.

We hope you can still join us for a wonderful evening in support of Operation Walk Los Angeles, and we apologize for the inconvenience in the date change.
Angels in the Room
By Cami Ward, Social Media Manager
All was calm on the floor last Sunday afternoon. It was the second full day of surgery and physical therapy rounds had been completed. Patients had come down from Post-Op and several had been discharged, leaving for home with a happy send-off. Most of the patients in the ward were either finishing their lunch or taking a well-deserved nap before the afternoon round of therapy began. 
 
I was sitting in our warehouse, notes fanned out in front of me as I worked to upload the morning’s photos. Our nurses were busy preparing supplies that our patients would take home with them, our internal medicine doctors were checking their charts, and others were preparing for our team dinner or coordinating transportation. There was a quiet, industrious hum as each volunteer set about their work. 
 
It was in the midst of that satisfying hum that I looked up and realized I was surrounded by Angels. Each woman working next to me was a member of our Angel sisterhood. I marveled at the coincidence and then grabbed my camera (I am a photographer after all).
 
“Did you realize that we are in a room full of Angels?” I asked my fellow volunteers. “This calls for a picture!” Quickly we recruited someone to capture the moment for us and then spent the next few minutes reflecting on how many volunteers not only give their time and talent, but sponsor an individual patient as well.
 
The trip to Havana had ten volunteers that are also Angels. Doctors Aneesah Smith and Mimi Cameron serve as our internal medicine doctors. Up in the Operation Rooms we have Dr. Maxine Anderson working as an assistant surgeon, Lisa Fujimoto as a Physician Assistant and two team leader RNs Trish Lindsey and Mary Ellen Sieben. On the floor we have Julie Anderson, RN leading our team of nurses, Stacy Kelso organizing our warehouse and cargo (amongst many other duties), Alejandra as a team leader and logistics wizard, and I do patient documentation, photography, and write material for our social media, website, and newsletters.
 
I cannot begin to tell you how proud I am to belong to this group of talented, kind, and dedicated women. During the ten days we were in Cuba, we carried you all with us and could feel the love and support only Operation Walk Angels can provide. Know we endeavored to do you all proud and did our best to give the tenderness and loving care our group stands for.
 
-Cami Ward
Angels Collage April 2022 - Havana, Cuba
Operation Walk USA:
Patient Portal Now Open
Operation Walk USA provides free of cost joint-replacement surgery for uninsured patients in the United States. If you or someone you know is in need of a hip or knee replacement, you can visit the patient portal below to review the qualifications and to submit your application.

Operation Walk USA is scheduled for December 5-10, 2022.
Meet Bryan
We are so happy to share this video collaboration by Joseph Rangel and Paulina Andujo, R.N., both Operation Walk volunteers who were on the recent Cuba mission.

"Bryan is a vibrant 21-year-old young man. He came to us because, for the past eight months, he was unable to put weight on his left leg, walk without crutches, and had to rely on a wheelchair for long distances. As you can imagine, this left Bryan feeling devastated and without hope.

Before rheumatoid arthritis restricted his ability to walk, Bryan was your typical young adult who enjoyed spending time with his friends. He and his sister are divers, and his sister participated in the Pan American Games. In October of 2021, Bryan and his mom made the difficult to decision to move 7 hours away from their hometown of Camaguey to Havana in an effort to get Bryan into physical therapy. The house they rented costs $200 USD, which they could only afford because Bryan’s father has been working in Italy.

In December, Bryan’s orthopedist informed him about Operation Walk. Since then, having his hips replaced has been the daily topic of discussion between him and his mom. For Bryan, having surgery and walking without crutches was merely a dream."

-Paulina Andujo, R.N.
Follow the rest of Bryan's story by watching the video below:
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