MISSION 2023

ANTIGUA, GUATEMALA

SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 7, 2023

Operation Walk Pittsburgh has returned from the team's 8th mission to Antigua, Guatemala. This year, our team assisted a record 52 patients with 73 joint replacement surgeries. And the second time in our history, a dental clinic was offered to low-income community members in and around Antigua. 

We’d like to thank Dr. Michael Guthrie of Wexford Family Dentistry, who accompanied us on the mission as our first “team dentist.” Over the course of three days, Dr. Guthrie, along with a local dentist and hygienist, provided community members with a total of 98 procedures which included: 23 extractions, 16 cleanings, and 77 fillings. Next year, Dr. Guthrie plans to expand the clinic for an even greater impact, and Operation Walk Pittsburgh will be recruiting a select number of dentists and hygienists for its 2024 travel team, as well as collecting supplies. We hope to continue to expand the services that our team provides to patients at Obras and the surrounding communities in the coming years. To donate supplies or to apply to be a volunteer, email info@amd3.org.

This year, the team was able to use 5 operating rooms instead of 4, thanks to an expansion at Obras. As a result, we were able to provide life-changing surgery to more patients than during any of our previous missions to Guatemala. In total, our team provided 6 bilateral hip replacement surgeries, 6 unilateral hip replacement surgeries, 14 bilateral knee replacement surgeries, and 25 unilateral knee replacement surgeries for a total of 73 joint replacements on 52 patients. Due to the success of the expansion of clinic and operating room facilities at Obras, the team plans to provide the same, if not more, surgeries on patients in 2024! 

While in Guatemala, the team also offers non-operative checkups and injections for patients who have already had surgery or who are not yet surgical candidates. Seeing many of our patients from 2021 and 2022 walking and enjoying a quality of life that they had realized in decades was a gift to our team. Patients come from far and wide to show their gratitude, and the team is always happy to reciprocate, as so many of our patients leave us with lasting memories, stories, and smiles year after year.

We couldn’t be happier for the opportunity to reconnect with friends and colleagues at Obras and get back to doing what we do best: providing eager patients a fresh start through renewed mobility. Our team of 67 volunteers was made up of an incredible array of amazing people who each brought their own special set of skills to the mission. Each year, our travel team is composed of incredibly talented and dedicated people, from surgeons to nurses; every person plays an incredibly important role. This year, there were many new faces, with 28 new volunteers recruited from all over the country. 

If you have a gently used walker or set of crutches you’d like to donate to the mission, please reach out.

The tremendous financial and in-kind support Operation Walk Pittsburgh received from donors, and corporate sponsors made the whole experience possible. We received over a million dollars worth of in-kind donations, including all hip and knee implants from sponsor Zimmer Biomet, as well as assistive devices, like walkers and crutches, from sponsor Surgical Products Solutions. In cash, the travel team alone was able to raise over $200,000 in support of the mission through informal fundraising campaigns among their families, friends, and colleagues. Additionally, we raised $65,000 in donations from local donors, mostly former patients at the Bone and Joint Center, and over $50,000 in cash support from other corporate sponsors. As always, all donations made to Operation Walk Pittsburgh directly supported patient care during the mission. We thank all of our donors and corporate sponsors for their support.

This year, Operation Walk Pittsburgh was able to fulfill its mission once more by providing patients with the gift of mobility and a life free from joint pain. Along with fundraising, the mission was made possible over a year's worth of planning and a tremendous amount of support from volunteers, donors, corporate sponsors, and many others. 

All of the patients from Mission 2023 have returned home with their families within a few days following their surgeries. Each has their own story to tell, stories with a newfound optimism and plans to resume jobs, pastimes, and active lifestyles with families. Patients expressed their joy at being able to spend time with their grandkids, celebrate with their loved ones, and simply stroll through their neighborhood with pride and independence, thanks to the help of our donors and volunteers.

If you’d like to learn more about Mission 2023 and a few of our patients' stories, click above to explore pictures and videos of the mission. Thank you, as always, for your support of Operation Walk Pittsburgh. To make a donation, donate walkers or crutches, or explore corporate sponsorship opportunities, please email info@amd3.org.

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As this year’s mission unfolds, our communications team will be sharing news and updates.

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