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'Operation Walk Florida' aims to improve lives
FOX 13's Aaron Mesmer shares the mission by one Tampa nonprofit to give people the ability to walk again by providing live-saving surgeries.
TAMPA - A team of about 65 medical professionals from across Florida is back home this week after completing a week-long medical mission in Antigua, Guatemala, where they helped dozens of patients walk again.
The group, known as Operation Walk Florida, performed 71 hip and knee replacement surgeries at no cost to the patients. Many of the recipients had lived with severe arthritis and limited mobility for years.
"It changes their life," said Dr. Kenneth Gustke, the organization’s founder and a retired orthopedic surgeon from Tampa. "But we’re not just helping the patient—we’re helping the whole family."
The trip was to Obras Sociales del Santo Hermano Pedro Hospital, a central facility where some patients traveled four to eight hours to reach care.
The backstory:
Dr. Gustke, who retired in January after performing more than 200,000 joint replacements in his career, founded Operation Walk Florida in 2018 after over a decade volunteering with the national chapter of the organization.
Each year, the Florida team travels to underserved areas in Guatemala and Vietnam, bringing with them implants and medical supplies.
"[We bring everything] from a Band-Aid, to anesthesia supplies, to medications, to bandages, to suture, everything we need to do a surgery," said Susie Heinrichs, the group’s team leader and logistics coordinator. Heinrichs spends nearly a year preparing each mission.
This year’s effort cost roughly $3,000 per patient, in addition to donated medical supplies. Patients also receive a walker, cane and a new pair of shoes as part of their recovery plan.
What they're saying:
Nicole Hubbard, Tampa General Hospital’s longtime Chief Nurse Anesthetist, joined the mission to lead anesthesia efforts—and to set an example for her children.
"I want to show my kids that doing good and helping others is really what life’s about," Hubbard said.
The gratitude from patients is overwhelming, volunteers say.
"You walk into the room after surgery and the family gets up and hugs everyone on our team," said Dr. Gustke. "It’s unbelievably fulfilling."
Many of the volunteers are top medical professionals from Tampa Bay, representing fields from surgery to physical therapy.
"You hear over and over how they finally have hope after surgery," Heinrichs added.
Operation Walk Florida has now completed over 400 no-cost joint replacements since its founding. Earlier this year, the group also completed a mission in Vietnam.
What's next:
Their next trip is already in the works and organizers hope increased awareness will help fund future missions and expand their reach.
"It’s about touching lives in a special way," said Hubbard. "And when you do that—you’ve done good."
What you can do:
For information on how to support Operation Walk Florida, visit the organization’s website.
The Source: Information for this story came from interviews with Operation Walk Florida’s founder and volunteers, Dr. Kenneth Gustke, Susie Heinrichs, Nicole Hubbard.
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