Dr. John Callaghan with wife Kim and Marilyn Dorr during our 2023 Annual Gala

Returning to Tanzania in 2023 on an Operation Walk mission after an eleven-year hiatus was a herculean effort. Most recently our trips have centered on countries in Central America. This trip was only possible because of our generous donors and enthusiastic volunteers. 

Our success has encouraged us to return to the Philippines in the upcoming summer of 2024. The team is presently forming and will include a number of volunteers of Filipino heritage. We’re looking forward to restoring hip and knee mobility in this population and helping the people of the Philippines regain freedom of movement!

John Callaghan M.D.

Chairman of the Board

Operation Walk Los Angeles

This December, volunteers met at our warehouse to organize, clean, and sort cargo that returned from our mission to Arusha, Tanzania. The next week our volunteers took inventory to identify which items had expired and what needed to be replaced for our upcoming mission to the Philippines.

A special shout-out to Ray Lopez for donating much-needed items to our next mission and to Mary Ellen and Jim Sieben, Ploi Dejsubha, Stacy Kelso, Trish Lindsey, Lisa Fujimoto, members of the Venice Ravens, Dr. Bryan Chan and Rudy Costales for your dedication to keep the OpWalk machine running smoothly.

Jennifer Desanto and Mary Ellen Sieben

Join us in giving a warm welcome to a familiar face in a new role, Jennifer Desanto. Jennifer is a long-time volunteer who has been vital to the organization of our team before and during mission trips, working long hours in Central Processing and a vital part of our fundraising efforts. We are so happy to have her working in our office in 2024!

Greetings to all Operation Walk team members, donors, and supporters.

I have been involved in volunteering for the Los Angeles Chapter for the past 20 plus years. My primary assignments have been acquiring donations, assisting in packing, warehouse, central supply and creating the patient charts. 

I recently retired from Keck Hospital of USC and decided it was a great opportunity to transition to part-time office support for Operation Walk. 

My new duties will include setting up forms and charts for upcoming trips, receiving cargo deliveries, shipping and receiving donations. Other tasks include mailing books, brochures and literature, Board Meeting minutes and office organization. 



In my spare time, I enjoy cooking, reading, horseback riding and going to the gym. 

I am looking forward to supporting Dr. Dorr’s vision and moving forward to a very productive future! 

Jennifer Desanto

Office Coordinator

Anya Patel, Madison Yamaguchi, Ella Francisco, Sage Francisco, Brielle Nakasuji, Natalie Nakasuji 

Once again, the next generation of philanthropists joined together to make a difference. Just before the New Year, the Venice Ravens basketball team assembled post-op bags for patients in the Philippines. Each bag was packed with care and personalized with the OpWalk logo. 

The team was tasked with collecting toiletry items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, lotion, shampoo, and conditioner. They worked together to make sure that our upcoming patients were taken care of and had essential items to take that first step into their new life after joint replacement surgery.

Many thanks to these young volunteers for helping us to make that extra difference in our patients’ recovery!

We wanted to share the progress of our student volunteer, Sarina Parks and her continued efforts to collect items to help our patients during our 2024 mission to the Philippines. 

Thank you, Sarina, for your dedication and hard work! We can’t wait to hear more.

Hello Everyone,

So far, I have set up 2 holiday-themed collection bins in Verdugo Hills Hospital: one in the Orthopedic department and the other in the Physical Therapy department. I really enjoyed decorating the bins and creating fun holiday flyers to spread the word. People generously donated their slightly used durable medical equipment and some even gifted brand new items! 

As of now, I have collected 2 wheelchairs, 10 pairs of crutches, 14 canes, and 5 walkers. I hope to continue my collection as we enter into the New Year. I’m very grateful for the generosity of all our donors and the amazing support I have received from the office staff at VHH who helped me coordinate this collection. It truly has been a team effort.

Happy New Year,

Sarina Parks

Ayda Rangel

Cuba 2022

"My wife Ayda Rangel was lucky and blessed to be operated on by Dr. William T. Long. Until her surgery, she supported herself with canes and a walker. After the operation on her hip, she regained her mobility, her intense pain disappeared, soon walked and now walks very normally. Thank you and Operation Walk!

Ladies and Gentlemen DONORS - thank you for making these surgeries possible- look at my wife!"

Pedro Bueno and Ayda Rangel

Hip Replacement Recipients

Bryant Sunol

Cuba 2022

When we first met Bryant, he was a twenty-one-year-old young man who had gone from a promising athlete to being confined to a wheelchair. Rheumatoid arthritis had frozen both of his hips and his future looked bleak. 

Bryant was given a choice or receiving a bilateral hip replacement or to remain as he was with restricted movement. He took a leap of faith and had surgery and got a new chance at life. 

Today we are so happy to hear that he is doing amazingly well. Here are messages from both him and his mother, letting us know how surgery can change a life.

“Greetings to everyone there, I don't remember the names very well, but I do remember everyone who helped me through the most difficult moment of my life.

Several young people like me who are here in Cuba have written to me to give them strength because they are here with cases similar to mine without being able to walk, I help them, and I like that. I like that I can give them hope.

Now I am not afraid of anything. I am happy

I am self-employed. I have a kiosk selling jams and looking for merchandise and things like that on my motorcycle.

Thank God and you who saved my life, I am eternally grateful.”

Bryant Pedro Sunol

“Every day I thank God for putting you on our path and allowing my son to walk again.

His life took a radical change from the minute you performed the miracle in the operating room.

I am more than grateful to you for making my son have a better life.”

Zenia Sunol Gomez

Irma

Guatemala 2021

One of our favorite things is hearing from our former patients and their families. Today we received a message from Karen about her mother, Irma who received a knee replacement during our 2021 trip to Antigua, Guatemala.

"Hello Everyone,

My mom has improved a lot since we last saw you and we will always be grateful to Operation Walk. 💖 Her recovery from her has not been absolute since she suffers from spinal hernias and she is still experiencing that problem. However, her knees are very good, your team did a wonderful job."

Are you or a family member a former patient of Operation Walk? Email us at cami@operationwalk.org. We would love to share it with our team, donors, and followers.

Time Machine

The First Mission to the Philippines

Looking back at our very first mission to the Philippines in 2001. Celebrating the volunteers who traveled over 15 hours to help replace 38 joints, giving our patients restored mobility.

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!

Happy New Year from Operation Walk Los Angeles!

Here's to a year filled with hope, new possibilities, and new opportunities to make a difference in the lives of others!

Wishing you all peace, joy, and purpose in this New Year.