Operation Walk has called the Los Angeles area home for twenty-nine years. We’ve weathered many a storm together and have always come out stronger. Conditions created by the recent wildfires that have affected so many of our volunteers, donors, and past patients are no different.  

Almost immediately we felt the support of patients from around the world, sending messages of hope, love, and support. We cannot thank them enough for taking the time to help lift up our organization and our community in their thoughts and prayers.

Office Manager Jennifer Desanto coordinated with the director of the non-profit Community’s Child, based in Lomita. Jennifer gathered cases of masks and personal hygiene items collected for previous missions and delivered them to their Hope Center. The supplies will be organized for distribution and given to families directly impacted by the fires. Thank you, Jennifer, for spearheading these donations.

We also had many of our OpWalk volunteers coordinate donations around the city, help at distribution centers, and house friends and family located in evacuation zones, making sure they were cared for and safe.  

Below is the account of one volunteer’s personal experience of volunteering and links providing information on where to find support, assistance, and how to donate to organizations around the city.

Together, we will get through this challenging time, and together, we will rise. 

A portion of the donated materials gathered from the OpWalk warehouse

Volunteer, Angelie Lorca RN at the Los Angeles Dream Center

Like so many people in the Los Angeles area, the recent wildfires and the devastation they brought affected me and my family. The event brought back memories of when my family lost our rental house to a fire in October of 2023. For somebody who's been in the same situation, I definitely know how it feels to lose everything. During that time, we relied on family, friends, and even people that we didn't know for support to get back on our feet again. It was a no-brainer for me and my husband to decide to do our part in giving back and helping the victims of the LA wildfires.

I heard about the LA Dream Center through my sister-in-law, Ghina. She had volunteered there the day before and had posted about her experience on Facebook. The Dream Center is a resource center focused on providing support to those affected by homelessness, hunger and lack of education through residential and community programs. When the wildfires came, they decided to reach out to the community to help those affected. The response was overwhelming - a lot of donations and volunteers came. 

The day we went there, we fell in line to sign up and sign the waiver. Then we choose where we would help - accepting donations (unloading from vehicles), sorting out donations, or distributing the goods to families. I helped out with the sorting out of clothes and shoes by gender and sizes. We also packed sets of clothes ready for distribution. It was such a powerful experience seeing the people of Los Angeles coming together with one goal in mind - to HELP and give back to the community.

Click the button below for more information about the LA Dream Center and find out how you can donate, volunteer, and stay updated on the current needs of the communities affected.

Resource List for Those Affected by the Wildfires in the Los Angeles Area and Where to Donate:

1. List of Resources provided by Keck Medicine
2. Community’s Child
3. LA Dream Center
4. World Central Kitchen
5. Habitat for Humanity Los Angeles

It has been six months since my bilateral total hip replacement surgery. Before the procedure, walking was a daily struggle. The pain was constant, and my mobility was severely limited. But thanks to the incredible medical team of Operation Walk Los Angeles, in partnership with St. Elizabeth Hospital, Inc., my life has been transformed. 

I can now walk free from pain and move up and down stairs with ease. This surgery has not only restored my physical abilities but also renewed my confidence and independence. 

Thank you, Operation Walk, for your expertise and unwavering dedication to changing lives like mine. I will always be forever grateful. 

Mylene Amor Pañares Fulgencio 

Bilateral Hips

Philippines

We wanted to share a patient update with a bit of a twist. We first shared Miguel’s story on Facebook in January. Much to our surprise and delight, we received an update from the Aunt with whom he stayed with while in Havana. Thank you, Maria Victoria, for the update. We loved hearing from you and wish both you and Miguel all the best.

A journey across Cuba. That's what Miguel Aria Nunez began when he heard he'd qualified for patient screening at Hospital Fructuoso. He left two days before his screening appointment and stayed with his aunt, who lives in Havana, to have the chance at hip replacement.

Just 24 years old, Miguel really only wanted one thing: to live a normal life. He worked selling candy on the street, but the pain from his hip didn't let him walk for very long or very far.  

After living with limited mobility and constant pain in his hip for two years, he was so relieved and surprised to be able to walk. Miguel is very thankful for the help OpWalk provided. He knows there are many people across Cuba who are waiting for surgery and is so happy that he was chosen for this chance.

“Hello, I'm Miguel Arias Nunez's aunt, who received the call with the news that he had been chosen for his possible operation, which they could do after the satisfactory check. That day, upon receiving the news, I cried with joy and immediately called my sister as soon as possible to send him to Havana!

He was operated on, and now today, Miguel can walk well and without pain. We are immensely grateful because he suffered a lot and had many complications. Today, he is very HAPPY, and that happiness was given by the angels of Operation Walk; God gave them much health to keep returning HAPPINESS to many more patients.”

Thousands of Blessings and Greetings from Havana, Cuba 

María Victoria Arias Garcés

Elsita with volunteers Jeanette Grande and Nelly Alvarez

and patient Monika Perez after surgery

“I thank God for these blessings. Operation Walk, with their multidisciplinary team, magnificent professionals, love, delicacy, and dedication, are examples of altruism and dedication to helping so many patients in need. They give us back the desire to live again, blessings to all these people who make a second chance possible. 

I’m sending a video of me. I can now walk down the street again without a cane or crutches. Just me, under my own power. Thank you to the volunteers and donors who made my hip surgery a possibility.”

Elsita Marcos Serrano

Right Hip Replacement

Elsita walking in Havana, 1 month after surgery

Memories and Impacts from Peru, 2007

Matt Holsbeke RN

Matt Holsbeke RN

The year was 2007. It was a beautiful sunny day with blue skies, and I was on an Operation Walk mission to Lima, Peru. Like most mission trips, after the bulk of the work was completed, we were allowed some free time to enjoy the city or surrounding region before we returned home. I decided to meet some friends at the catacombs. 

The catacombs are man-made underground passages primarily used for religious purposes, particularly for burial. They’re located in the historic center of Lima, built under the Basilica and Convent of San Francisco, and currently function as a museum.

I was walking alone down one of the side streets when a young woman in her thirties approached me.I'm always a little cautious when I'm in foreign countries and this situation was no different. 

She came close, held out her hands, and presented me with a small piece of linen tied by a thin ribbon. "I need money," she said, asking me to buy what was in the linen. I was in a hurry as I was running a little late. At first, I tried to brush her off, but when I looked into her eyes, I could see she was desperate yet sincere. "4 dollars,” she said, "only 4 dollars". I didn’t have any change, so I gave her a ten-dollar bill, took the linen and its contents, put them in my backpack and quickly went on my way. I never saw her again. 

I had an amazing time at the catacombs and the afternoon went by quickly. In the evening, while preparing for bed, I rummaged through my backpack and realized I’d never opened the linen. Slowly, I untied the ribbon, and to my surprise, there were four brass llamas inside. They appeared to be carefully handcrafted with love and garnished with stone that created backpacks for each llama. They were of different sizes, representing a family: father, mother, and two children. They were amazingly simple yet beautiful.

I’ve been on many, many mission trips around the world. I’ve brought back various cultural items from each country I visited, but to this day, these four brass llamas are my favorite. These four llamas represent the innocence and simplicity of life. They forever remind me of this special encounter that happened for a fraction of a moment 18 years ago on a street in Lima, Peru. This simple yet amazing encounter has and always will have a huge impact on my life forever.  

Matthew Holsbeke

Register Nurse

Hawthorne, Florida 

In the past few weeks, we’ve been laying the groundwork for a faster and more seamless website experience, starting with server optimizations to improve speed. But the biggest changes are still ahead. Soon, we’ll be unveiling a brand-new homepage designed to help new visitors quickly understand our mission while giving returning supporters easy access to the latest updates and patient stories. We’re also implementing a more intuitive donation form to streamline the giving process.

Our goal is to create a modern, accessible platform where visitors can easily learn about our mission, see upcoming trips, and quickly find ways to contribute to our work.

Over the next few months, we’ll be refreshing each section of the site to enhance the experience on all devices, ensuring that whether you’re visiting from a phone, tablet, or desktop, everything is easy to navigate. We’re excited about these improvements and can’t wait to share them with you.

Pablo Ortega

Webmaster

Thank you all for the support, encouragement and love that you give to us all year long. Our readers, followers, volunteers and donors are truly an important part of the OpWalk family, and we couldn’t restore mobility without you.

Know that you are appreciated and loved.

Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day.