Global nonprofit performed surgery on 165 patients and trained 260 local surgeons across 11 countries in 2023, including three in Q4
DENVER, Jan. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Steps2Walk, an international humanitarian nonprofit organization founded by world-renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Mark Myerson, announced today the impact of its 2023 surgical and training programs. Over the course of 11 missions in 2023 to under-served regions around the world, the organization treated 165 patients to gain mobility again – or in some cases, for the first time in their lives. Steps2Walk also trained 260 local surgeons so that they are more equipped to treat severe foot and ankle deformities in their communities.
Steps2Walk was founded 23 years ago after Myerson came to realize how truly under-resourced many regions of the world are in regard to orthopedic care. Children in low- to middle-income countries, for example, make up approximately 80% of those born with clubfoot, with little access to treatment or surgical solutions.
"One of our primary goals with Steps2Walk is to educate and train the next generation of local surgeons so that they can perform surgeries by themselves and in turn help teach the surgeons in their hospitals and practices, creating a domino effect," said Myerson. "When a country has only one orthopedic surgeon for every 1 million people, you come to understand the magnitude of the challenges faced by those trying to treat their local patients."
In the last quarter of the year, Steps2Walk conducted critical surgical and training missions in the Philippines, Brazil and Kenya. Earlier in 2023, the team also held programs in:
- India
- Bolivia
- Peru
- Namibia
- Chile
- Argentina
- Mexico
- Pakistan
Dr. Gabriel Khazen, Past President of the Latin American Federation of Foot and Ankle Societies, a Steps2Walk volunteer surgeon, and member of the organization's International Medical Advisory Board, noted that many of the patients they see in Kenya have traumatic injuries.
During this year's program, however, he was most touched by a woman who'd had a stroke and had undergone several surgeries prior to being seen by the Steps2Walk team.
"When you go into a country like Kenya, where the need for our program is so great due to the ratio of skilled orthopedic surgeons to patients, it's incredibly meaningful work," said Khazen, who has been with the organization since 2005. "We see people who have had three or four surgeries in the last few years to repair their foot or ankle trauma or deformity, and this is often their 'last shot' at getting back to a normal life. Almost every time, our team is able to give that to them."
The Steps2Walk team, which includes a global network of more than 125 volunteer surgeons, is well underway in planning their 2024 Program schedule that will expand to 18 countries across the globe. The organization works with the host countries and hospitals as well as a multitude of partners to coordinate the trips, and planning often begins 18 – 24 months before each program.
"Every trip, we treat both children and adult patients who have life-altering, severe foot and ankle deformities," said Myerson. "Correcting those deformities means these patients can lead relatively normal lives, but these surgeries can also help them restore their livelihoods and give them a quality of life they haven't experience in years, or ever. They can walk, dance or play their favorite sport again."
For more information on how to become a volunteer faculty member or trainee participant in one of the Steps2Walk Programs, visit https://steps2walk.org/faculty/. Steps2Walk also accepts donations, which can give the gift of walking to those most in need and help fund critical training and education for regional orthopedic surgeons.
About Steps2Walk
Steps2Walk, a 501(c)(3) organization, is an international network of surgeons working to perform surgical care on individuals suffering from severe foot and ankle deformities in under-served regions of the world, while simultaneously educating orthopedic surgeons in various treatment and care alternatives. Founded by Dr. Mark Myerson in 2000 to provide a sustainable model of care and surgical training and to help patients regain their mobility and improve their quality of life, Steps2Walk envisions a world where everyone, no matter their circumstances, has access to quality surgical foot and ankle care. In its more recent seven years of service, Steps2Walk has completed more than 1,550 surgical operations and trained more than 1,700 regional surgeons in over 24 countries around the globe. By investing time into educating local surgeons and revisiting countries where the need is greatest and the resources are few, Steps2Walk is creating a lasting impact that will ultimately give The Gift of Walking to thousands of people worldwide.
Media Contact
Lee Redding, Steps2Walk, 1 706-537-6596, [email protected], steps2walk.org
SOURCE Steps2Walk
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