A Mission to Make a Difference: Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada Team in Ecuador

A Dedicated Team Changing Lives

In February 2025, for 10 days, pediatric orthopedic surgeon Neil Saran, M.D., FRCS(C); pediatric anesthesiologist Erika T. Nguyen, M.D., FRCP(C), pediatric respiratory therapist Amélia Vachon, RT; and orthopedic surgery resident Carl Laverdière, M.D., traveled to Quito, Ecuador, on a medical mission with the Canadian Association of Medical Teams Abroad (CAMTA), an organization based in Alberta, Canada.

The mission’s goal is to improve the lives of people in developing countries who are in desperate need of medical and surgical care by providing treatment, public health education and ongoing training. CAMTA has been organizing this annual mission to Ecuador for over 25 years. Each two-week mission spans 17 days and typically includes around 50 team members per week, combining both adult and pediatric teams. On average, 80 adult and pediatric patients receive surgery during each mission.

This was Dr. Saran’s sixth and Dr. Nguyen’s fourth time participating in this important work.

Bringing Everything They Needed to Operate

To perform surgeries in Ecuador, the team had to bring every single piece of medical equipment with them. If they didn’t bring it, it wasn’t available. This included everything from surgical caps, gowns and gloves, to medications for intraoperative and postoperative care. Drills, plates, screws and implants were also included. All of it was packed into hockey bags and flown from Canada to Ecuador.

Complex Surgeries with Limited Resources

During their week on-site, the team saw approximately 50 pediatric patients in clinic and performed surgery on 11 patients. Procedures included pelvic osteotomies for hip dysplasia, proximal and distal femoral osteotomies, clubfoot surgeries and complex foot reconstructions. All of this was done with limited surgical tools and no intraoperative fluoroscopy.

The most complex case was a 14-year-old boy with a serious inward bend in the lower part of his thigh bone, near the knee. He lives with his grandmother. The surgery was extremely challenging and included an intraoperative wake-up test to ensure that nerve function remained intact after the correction. It was a powerful moment when the patient woke up with a straight leg and no neurological deficits!

Sharing Knowledge and Building Local Capacity

At the end of the week, the team also provided teaching sessions for local residents and staff. While the mission was intense and exhausting, the opportunity to restore quality of life to children who would otherwise not have access to care was truly priceless.

The team is already looking forward to returning next year – and new volunteers are always welcome!