2018 Mission in China
In March 2018, four leading pediatric orthopaedic surgeons from the Stanford University's Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital spent one week at Yantai Hospital in Shandong Province, operating on children with severe scoliosis and other orthopaedic disabilities. Dr. James Gamble, Dr. Lawrence Rinsky, Dr. Serena Hu, and Dr. Jaime Lopez operated on 11 children: six with severe scoliosis, and five with different orthopaedic disabilities. They also offered consultations to over 100 children and families, and took part in an orthopaedic conference for attended by local Chinese orthopaedic surgeons and medical students.
All four doctors are well-recognized for their efforts in international orthopaedics, and each year spend several weeks in hospitals throughout Asia and other parts of the world helping children with limited access to orthopaedic care.
Surgical Team for the 2018 Mission
Dr James Gamble is a Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Stanford School of Medicine and a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon at the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford. Dr Gamble has been leading orthopaedic medical trips to China since 2000.
Dr. Laurence Rinsky is a Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Stanford University and Director of the Children’s orthopaedic service at the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford. He has broad knowledge in all areas of children’s orthopaedics and has published in almost every area. Dr. Rinsky was also one of the early North Americans who utilized the Luque method for correcting scoliosis.
Dr. Serena Hu is chief of the spine service in the department of orthopaedic surgery, at the Stanford University School of Medicine. She received her orthopaedic training at the Hospital for Special Surgery and spine deformity training at Rancho Los Amigos. She has been in practice for more than 20 years and specializes in the treatment of scoliosis and kyphosis.
Dr. Jaime Lopez is a neurologist in Stanford, California and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford and Stanford Hospital and Clinics. He received his medical degree from University of Washington School of Medicine and has been in practice for 28 years.
Natasha Curry is a nurse practitioner with extensive experience in symptom management. She previously worked for Doctors Without Borders, overseeing and training nurses in optimal chronic and acute pain management, and is currently working with cancer patients at San Francisco General Hospital in their palliative care inpatient and outpatient program.
2018 Mission Costs
The Glow Fund aims to ensure donors know that their contributions go directly to helping children receive orthopaedic operations from some of the world’s leading surgeons from Stanford University.
The four doctors, trustees, and most people assisting the operations work on a volunteer basis. The Glow Fund is therefore able to keep the operational costs down to a minimum.
These costs includes bringing the doctors and facilitators to China; their hotel and meals during their stay; hospital fees incurred during the week of surgeries; and supporting some of the children through travel, translator fees and boarding costs. The Glow Fund has no administrative, management or high overhead costs such as rent, or salaries for permanent staff. All these resources are provided on a voluntary basis.
