Over a three week period in February and March, 91 volunteers from all over Canada, the US, Australia and Ecuador changed the lives of 38 adults and 27 children with desperately needed orthopedic surgeries. Two of the adults and five of the children had more than one surgery. 

Our group of professionals also shared knowledge with their Quito colleagues, with two Nursing presentations and two from our Physiotherapists. CAMTA surgeons participated in the Third Annual Conference on Orthopedic Surgical Procedures, giving presentations on four different topics. 

We had some very welcome visitors.   Eric Kendrick and Marialorina Pasquel from the Canadian Embassy in Quito dropped by to meet our team and visit with some of our patients. 

 Staff members from NH Collection Royal Quito, our ‘home away from home” in Quito, arrived at the hospital one day with a surprise lunch: great sandwiches, juices, cookies and a beautiful cake! Speaking of lunch…  Zulay and David Palacios and their very generous friends once again provided lunch at the hospital for our hungry volunteers  every day of the three week Mission! 

Another long time CAMTA supporter,  Byron Ushiña, treated us to two evenings of shopping for his handcrafted Ecuadorean Ancestral Jewelry. Byron donates a piece of his art to be given away to a lucky team member AND discounts his prices for our volunteers, then donates 10% of his sales on those evenings back to CAMTA.

 CAMTA meets the challenge of communicating with our mostly Spanish-speaking patients by bringing hardworking translators with us. We are also grateful to have many locally based translators offer their services.  Miluska Sanchez once again organized a full schedule of local high school students, and some of their mothers, to help with translating. A former surgical patient, Jorge Anibal Chulde Zaruma  comes back every year to translate physiotherapists’ exercise demonstrations in the clinic. CAMTA translator Sammy Ruiz ‘s parents, Hugo and Oliva Ruiz also helped with translating. And  Alex Tapialocal translator who became a CMATA team member for the 2016 mission and has brought friends with her to help in the clinic and for the past two years, brought her daughter, Mili, this year.  

2017 Team Members

NameRole
Alessandra GessnerPhysician – Family Practice
Alex CerezoTranslator
Alexandra SmolinskiPhysiotherapist
Aline Pourbaix YoungAdministration
Alyssa ChappellRN – Ward – Pediatric
Alyssa WilkieRN – Operating Room – Pediatric
Amy RauschRN – Operating Room – Pediatric
Anna HebertPhysiotherapist
Armando EscalonaRespiratory Therapist
Barb MoreauAdministration
Barbara-Lynne FurlerPhysiotherapist
Beverly RunkaRN – Recovery Room – Pediatric
Cathleen ClarkeRN – Operating Room – Adult
Cathy HutchinsonRN – Operating Room – Adult
Clara BergenPhysiotherapist
Dasha JohnstonRN – Recovery Room – Pediatric
Deb ChalupaRN – Ward – Adult
Deborah MearsLay Person
Dedra ScottRespiratory Therapist
Denise FeserLay Person
Don DickPhysician – Orthopedic Surgeon – Pediatric
Donna BrownRN – Operating Room – Pediatric
Edward MassonPhysician – Orthopedic Surgeon – Adult
Émilie LavoieCommunications – Mission Blogger
Eric EntwistleRN – Recovery Room – Adult
Erica GravesRN – Ward – Adult
Erik SorianoPhysiotherapy Assistant
Erika NguyenPhysician – Anesthesiologist – Pediatric
Faisal KassamRN – Recovery Room – Adult
Francisco GallardoTranslator
Greg ZinterInformation Technologist/Patient Admitting Clerk
Heather RaittRN – Operating Room – Adult
Heather PerlRN – Operating Room – Adult
Heather JackmanPhysician – Orthopedic Surgeon – Pediatric
Jackie WiebeAdministration
James JarvisPhysician – Orthopedic Surgeon – Pediatric
Janet EdmondsonCommunications – Mission Blogger
Jim DaviesLay Person
Jim RasoInformation Technologist/Patient Admitting Clerk
Joanne MontgomeryPhysiotherapist
Juanita DaviesCommunications – Mission Blogger
Julianna DeutscherCommunications – Mission Blogger
Julie CadrinRN – Ward – Pediatric
Karen CalhounLay Person
Karly MurphyStudent – General
Kate McArthurStudent – General
Kathryn FryPhysician – Anesthesiologist – Pediatric
Kathy BonitzRN – Operating Room – Adult
Kayla StricklandRN – Ward – Adult
Khaled AlmansooriPhysician – Orthopedic Surgeon – Pediatric
Krystal StevelyRN – Operating Room – Adult
Krystal YuzwenkoStudent – Nursing
Lindsay SmittenRN – Operating Room – Adult
Lisa BleackleyRN – Ward – Adult
Lorne FeserLay Person
Mairi GordonRN – Recovery Room – Adult
Marc MoreauPhysician – Orthopedic Surgeon – Pediatric
Maria Echaiz-EgurenTranslator
Marni WesnerPhysician – Family Practice
Masaru YukawaPhysician – Anesthesiologist – Adult
Matthew MoreauTravel Person/Logistics
Melisa MartinRN – Ward – Adult
Michele DerbyshireRN – Operating Room – Pediatric
Michelle MassonStudent – General
Myriam van DiestTranslator
Natalie KlawitterRN – Ward – Adult
Natasha DugasStudent – Nursing
Nathalie KupferStudent – General
Neethling van den HeeverPhysician – Anesthesiologist – Adult
Olivier Gauthier-KwanResident – Orthopedics
Paul LeungPhysician – Orthopedic Surgeon – Adult
Pauline WorsfoldRN – Recovery Room – Adult
Peggy ProdorLay Person
Peter RatcliffLay Person
Rachel OatesPhysiotherapist
Rayanne HillierRN – Operating Room – Adult
Ricardo RodasRN – Operating Room – Adult
Richard McLeodPhysician – Orthopedic Surgeon – Adult
Robert SealPhysician – Anesthesiologist – Pediatric
Ryan WrightPhysician – Family Practice
Saison DemitorO.R. Technician
Sarah LefebvreRN – Ward – Adult
Scott WestbergResident – Orthopedics
Silvia MartinTranslator
Supriya SinghResident – Orthopedics
Surita SidhuPhysician – Anesthesiologist – Adult
Sussana GaviriaTranslator
Tegan McGrawRN – Ward – Pediatric
Timothy KostamoPhysician – Orthopedic Surgeon – Adult
Timothy SmithTranslator
Toby CubittTranslator
Tonya KennedyRN – Operating Room – Adult
Valentina MerinoTranslator
Veronica KongAdministration
Yvonne SawchynLay Person