2018 Mission

In February/March 2018 completed our sixteenth successful Mission in Quito! Ninety-five volunteers from all over Canada and Ecuador changed the lives of 37 adults and 25 children with desperately needed orthopedic surgeries. Five of the adults and nine of the children had more than one surgery. 

Our team enjoyed a visit from Canadian Ambassador to Ecuador, Marianick Tremblay. Ambassador Tremblay donned our blue scrubs, toured the administration area, kitchen (sterilizing area), pre-op, and even headed to the OR to watch a total hip replacement. Afterwards, she went up to the ward to visit with recovering patients.

Local Ecuadorian orthopod, Dr. Juan Carlos Zabala, scrubbed in with our surgeons, and continues to share new techniques with local medical personnel.

During the mission, groups of our medical volunteers participated in several presentations to local physiotherapists, nurses, general practitioners and orthopedic surgeons, residents and medical students on topics including rehabilitation techniques for stroke survivors, pre-surgery fasting guides, non-surgical treatment of osteoarthritis and adult and pediatric orthopedic topics.

Name	Role
Adela Sandigo Gross	RN – Ward – Adult
Alessandra Gessner	Physician – Family Practice
Alex Cerezo	Translator
Alexandra Smolinski	Physiotherapist
Aline Pourbaix Young	Administration
Alyssa Chappell	RN – Ward – Pediatric
Alyssa Wilkie	RN – Operating Room – Pediatric
Amy Rausch	RN – Operating Room – Pediatric
Angela Neufeld	Physician – Anesthesiologist – Adult
Anna Hebert	Physiotherapist
Barb Moreau	Administration
Barbara-Lynne Furler	Physiotherapist
Beverly Runka	RN – Recovery Room – Pediatric
Brenda Wright	RN – Ward – Adult
Carole Dugas	Lay Person
Cathleen Clarke	RN – Operating Room – Adult
Christa Hoefling	Lay Person
Damaris Gaete Ortega	Translator
Danielle Becker	RN – Ward – Adult
Dasha Johnston	RN – Recovery Room – Pediatric
Deb Chalupa	RN – Ward – Adult
Dedra Scott	Respiratory Therapist
Denise Raman-Nair	RN – Recovery Room – Pediatric
Don Dick	Physician – Orthopedic Surgeon – Pediatric
Donna Brown	RN – Operating Room – Pediatric
Edward Masson	Physician – Orthopedic Surgeon – Adult
Ella Dunlop	Student – General
Elysia Dziwenka	Lay Person
Eric Entwistle	RN – Recovery Room – Adult
Erica Graves	RN – Ward – Adult
Erik Soriano	Physiotherapy Assistant
Erika Nguyen	Physician – Anesthesiologist – Pediatric
Florian Rudolph	Physician – Anesthesiologist – Pediatric
Francisco Gallardo	Translator
Gillian Kent	RN – Operating Room – Pediatric
Gordon Giesbrecht	Lay Person
Grant Clarke	Communications – Mission Blogger
Greg Zinter	Information Technologist/Patient Admitting Clerk
Heather Perl	RN – Operating Room – Adult
Jackie Wiebe	Administration
Jance McGale	Resident – Orthopedics
Jay Valencia	Translator
Joanne Montgomery	Physiotherapist
Jordan Bunda	Communications – Mission Blogger
Julie Cadrin	RN – Ward – Pediatric
Justine Ferguson	Physiotherapy Assistant
Justine Tolentino	RN – Operating Room – Adult
Karen Calhoun	Lay Person
Kathy Bonitz	RN – Operating Room – Adult
Kayla Strickland	RN – Ward – Adult
Khaled Almansoori	Physician – Orthopedic Surgeon – Pediatric
Krystle Chilibecki	Physiotherapist
Liz Hoeppner	Physician – Anesthesiologist – Pediatric
Lormirra Jezelle Alcantara	RN – Ward – Pediatric
Mairi Gordon	RN – Recovery Room – Adult
Marc Moreau	Physician – Orthopedic Surgeon – Pediatric
Maria Echaiz-Eguren	Translator
Maria Siegrist	O.R. Technician
Marina Francis	RN – Operating Room – Pediatric
Mark Rintoul	Respiratory Therapist
Marni Wesner	Physician – Family Practice
Martha Valencia	Translator
Megan Schafers	RN – Ward – Pediatric
Melanie Elhafid	Translator
Natasha Dugas	Student – Nursing
Neethling van den Heever	Physician – Anesthesiologist – Adult
Neil Saran	Physician – Orthopedic Surgeon – Pediatric
Nicole Masson	Student – General
Nicole Webb	Physician – Anesthesiologist – Adult
Odette Brown	O.R. Technician
Olivier Gauthier-Kwan	Resident – Orthopedics
Omer Ahmad	Information Technologist/Patient Admitting Clerk
Paul Leung	Physician – Orthopedic Surgeon – Adult
Pauline Worsfold	RN – Recovery Room – Adult
Paulose Paul	Physician – Orthopedic Surgeon – Adult
Peggy Prodor	Lay Person
Rachel Oates	Physiotherapist
Rayanne Hillier	RN – Operating Room – Adult
Ricardo Rodas	RN – Operating Room – Adult
Robert Seal	Physician – Anesthesiologist – Pediatric
Ryan Titley	RN – Ward – Adult
Ryan Wright	Physician – Family Practice
Saison Demitor	O.R. Technician
Sara McGale	Student – General
Sarah Ngo	Lay Person
Shelaina Anderson	Resident – Family Medicine
Shinner Hsu	RN – Ward – Adult
Silvia Martin	Translator
Steve Chevalier	Lay Person
Surita Sidhu	Physician – Anesthesiologist – Adult
Sussana Gaviria	Translator
Tara Beatson	RN – Ward – Pediatric
Timothy Kostamo	Physician – Orthopedic Surgeon – Adult
Troy Bornes	Resident – Orthopedics
Veronica Kong	Administration
YOUJIN CHANG	Resident – Orthopedics
Yvonne Sawchyn	Lay Person