Operation Hope
I joined the Riverview Rotary Club a few years ago and it took me until today to fully understand the scope of Operation Esperanza. For any of us who unfortunately don’t speak Spanish, “Esperanza” translates to “hope” in English. Operation Esperanza is a medical and dental mission to Cuenca, Ecuador that gives hope to the patients who are helped as well as their families.
In 2013, fifty-six health care professionals, lead by Dr. Thomas Greidanus, flew down to Cuenca, Ecuador to provide free orthopaedic surgery and dental care to people in need. The adult orthopaedic surgery team was able to do 41 adult hip and knee replacement surgeries. As well, they saw 160 patients in consultation. The paediatric orthopaedic surgery team did 9 surgeries on children with clubfeet or dislocated hips. The dental team provided free dental care to a large number of disadvantaged children in rural areas as far as two hours into the mountains. The dental team also provided preoperative care to all the adult patients. The educational component - included giving formal lectures to local surgeons as well as teaching around the operating table are invaluable.
Sixteen years ago, Dr. Thomas Greidanus conducted surgeries supporting the vulnerable and disadvantaged in Cuenca. Due to his commitment and him exhibiting “service above self”, Dr. Greidanus was nominated as the Riverview Rotary Club’s Integrity Award recipient. Following the award, Dr. Greidanus became a member of our club. For the last fourteen years, the Edmonton Riverview Rotary Club has worked tirelessly in fundraising and building relationships to continue and augment Operation Esperanza to support people in need.
“We are changing the world one hip, one knee, and one tooth at a time,” ~Carl Simonson, volunteer.
The gratitude and thanks are palpable. Recipients of the surgeries are not the only ones who benefit from this goodwill. Operation Esperanza supports the recipients as well as their families. Many local volunteers who come out to support the mission are past recipients who act as translators for members of the team who don’t speak Spanish. For a young women who has severe osteo arthritis that is extremely painful, she might not have that bright of a future. Thanks to her hip surgery, she is more likely to work and have a family – her independence and future look more promising.
It is amazing to see how this “well meshed team” is able to make a difference in so many lives. The total cost of the mission is approximately $150,000 [CDN] all of which is spent on the prosthesis needed for the adult surgery. A yearly dinner and silent auction help raise close to $50,000 with the remaining balance covered by grants and other groups and individuals who have contributed so generously. Heartwarming thanks to everyone who supports Operation Esperanza – it could not be accomplished without your ongoing help.
