This October, a team of 17 amazing medical volunteers will be traveling from Michigan to Holy Family Hospital in Techiman, Ghana for a week-long surgical mission with Operation International.
We’ll be doing free surgeries for patients who’ve waited years-- some living with large thyroid goiters, cancers, deformities, congenital abnormalities, and conditions most of us can't imagine having to live with untreated. Our team includes 4 surgeons, 4 CRNAs, and 8 incredible nurses and scrub techs—all donating their time, skills, and heart to serve. This work is deeply meaningful to us.
As an anesthesia provider, I’ll help ensure patients receive safe and compassionate care during procedures that restore health, dignity, and hope.
Patients in underserved areas of Ghana—especially children, women needing obstetric care, and adults with untreated surgical conditions—will benefit. This population is prioritized because they often lack access to safe anesthesia and surgery, face preventable suffering, and can experience life-changing outcomes from even basic surgical interventions.
Providing anesthesia will make surgery safer and more accessible, reduce complications and deaths, improve quality of life, and support maternal, child, and community health while strengthening local healthcare capacity.
This trip will strengthen my clinical adaptability, deepen my understanding of global health disparities, and build lasting partnerships. These lessons can be shared with colleagues, inspire advocacy, and enrich both my professional practice and personal growth.
