I have worked as a physician assistant in orthopedics for over 20yrs with a particular interest in joint replacement surgery. Operation Walk Carolinas aligns my passions for helping others with an opportunity to change lives and communities in an immediate and profound way. When you can give the gift of painfree mobility to these patients you have also restored their hope and their independence. Seeing the genuine gratitude and trust from these patients we help gives me true joy as a healthcare professional. If I worked 50 more years in US healthcare, it would not generate an ounce of the warmth and kindness that I feel on a single mission trip. These trips change you at your core. Although these patients see an immediate physical improvement in their mobility, under the surface you will see a restoration of hope, resilience and renewal to their human spirit. I am honored to have served as a PA on trips to Cuba, Panama and Honduras and can’t emphasize enough how special it is to witness the incredible teaming of people that occurs on these trips.