CAMTA Medical association posing for a friendly group photo smiling

MISSION 2023

The CAMTA team was thrilled to return to Quito for Mission 2023 after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic!This year 93 volunteers from across Canada, and one Canadian living in the US, made the trip to Ecuador changing the lives of 39 adults and 29 children. Seven of the adult patients had bilateral hip replacements – meaning seven of our patients had both hips replaced. Several of the children also had more than one surgery.

CAMTA was able to set up a new SIGN Nail program in Loja, Ecuador this year. It is CAMTA’s 3rd SIGN Nail program. The SIGN Nail is a fracture fixation system used to treat long bong fractures in 57 developing countries around the world. It requires no special X-ray equipment and allows patients to be out of hospital in as little as 48 hours instead of being in traction in hospital for weeks, or even months. The program will be overseen by Dr. Eduardo Gaumin, and CAMTA will replenish implants used, each year.

At a dinner on the Saturday between weeks one and two, Tierra Nueva Foundation presented CAMTA with a plague commemorating 20 years of mission trips to Quito.

Thank you to all of the supporters, donors, volunteers, and behind-the-scenes worker bees for your part in making these mission trips possible! Muchas Gracias!

MISSION 2023 Team Members

Name Role
Adela Sandigo Gross RN - Ward - Adult
Alessandra Gessner Physician - Family Practice
Amelia Vachon Respiratory Therapist
April Zhiwei Gu RN - Ward - Adult
Ashlee Dobbe Physician - Orthopedic Surgeon - Pediatric
Barbara Moreau Administration
Barbara-Lynne Furler Physiotherapist
Rebekah Hazell O.R. Technician
Beverly Runka RN - Recovery Room - Pediatric
Bonnie Cluney Lay Person
Brigitta Riley Resident - Anesthesia
Caroline McCarthy Lay Person
Carrey Martin RN - Recovery Room - Adult
Charlie Secretan Physician - Orthopedic Surgeon - Adult
Coreen Nelson Lay Person
Danielle Stachiw Physician - Orthopedic Surgeon - Adult
Danika Vautour Physician - Anesthesiologist - Adult
Darrel Comeau Communications - Mission Blogger
David Sommerfreund Physician - Anesthesiologist - Pediatric
David Nelson Physician - Orthopedic Surgeon - Pediatric
Deb Chalupa RN - Ward - Adult
Deborah Freelove RN - Recovery Room - Adult
Deborah Mears Lay Person
Donna Brown RN - Operating Room - Pediatric
Erika Nguyen Physician - Anesthesiologist - Pediatric
josh Testing Communications - General
Fatima Gallardo Translator
Francisco Gallardo Translator/Logistics
Gabrielle Daneluik Licensed Practical Nurse
Giannina Gentili O.R. Technician
Gillian Kent RN - Operating Room - Pediatric
Gloria Esperanza Morales Translator
Grace Bredlow Student - Nursing
Greg Zinter Information Technologist/Patient Admitting Clerk
Neyma McElhaney Translator
Holly Schellenberg O.R. Technician
Ina Verheul O.R. Technician
Jacques Vincent Student - General
Jaklin Sadeh RN - Operating Room - Adult
Janice Belter Physiotherapist
Jenna Nodding Physiotherapist
Jessica Zapata Student - Medical
Jennifer Kitzan Mohammed Lay Person
Joanne Montgomery Physiotherapy Assistant
Joshua Gallup RN - Ward - Adult
Karen Calhoun Lay Person
Kelsie Marusak RN - Ward - Adult
Kevin Gregg Physician - Anesthesiologist - Adult
Khaled Almansoori Physician - Orthopedic Surgeon - Pediatric
Kristin Hinton Resident - Orthopedics
Kristen Violette RN - Operating Room - Adult
Lydia Neufeld Communications - Mission Blogger
Marc Moreau Physician - Orthopedic Surgeon - Pediatric
Margaret Ropcean RN - Recovery Room - Adult
Maria Echaiz-Eguren Translator
Ines Swansburg Translator
Mary Klute RN - Ward - Pediatric
Malcolm Howard Resident - Anesthesia
Michele Derbyshire RN - Operating Room - Pediatric
Michele Vincent Lay Person
Michelle Lord RN - Operating Room - Adult
Madonna Ly Lay Person
Neil Saran Physician - Orthopedic Surgeon - Pediatric
Odette Brown O.R. Technician
Pauline Worsfold RN - Recovery Room - Adult
Paulose Paul Physician - Orthopedic Surgeon - Adult
Peggy Prodor Lay Person
Peter Ratcliff Lay Person
Krystan Publow Orthopedic Technologist
Rachel Oates Physiotherapist
Raj Dhillon Physiotherapist
Rayanne Hillier RN - Operating Room - Adult
Ricardo Bittencourt Physician - Anesthesiologist - Adult
Rhea Tuyo RN - Operating Room - Adult
Ryan Wright Physician - Family Practice
Saison Demitor O.R. Technician
Sehrish Nasser Respiratory Therapist
Sarah Lim RN - Operating Room - Adult
Sofie Hooft Toomey Student - General
Sophia Kostamo Student - General
Surita Sidhu Physician - Anesthesiologist - Adult
Tegan McGraw RN - Ward - Pediatric
Terry Blois Information Technologist/Patient Admitting Clerk
Timothy Kostamo Physician - Orthopedic Surgeon - Adult
Timothy Smith Translator/Logistics
Terry Olsen Physician - Family Practice
Treena Erbach RN - Ward - Adult
Victor Eguren-Echaiz Translator
Victoria Wong RN - Ward - Pediatric
Vivian Sadeh Communications - Mission Blogger