Our company mission of Life Unlimited means improving patient outcomes for all, including supporting access to healthcare for patients in developing countries. Product donation partnerships help us to achieve this.
One such partnership is with Operation Walk, an all-volunteer medical humanitarian organization that provides life-changing joint replacement surgeries at no cost for those in need globally.
Smith+Nephew has been a partner in Operation Walk Canada’s missions for 19 years, providing implants for hip and knee surgeries in locations like Guatemala, Nicaragua, Nepal and Ecuador.
Alongside product donations, members of our team provide onsite technical support to doctors, as well as cleaning equipment and checking implant trays against case requirements. In the most recent trip to Guatemala at the end of 2024, the team supported replacement of an impressive 89 joints across just four days.
Joe Iannuccilli, a Loaner Technician in our Mississauga warehouse, has joined around six Operation Walk Canada trips. In Guatemala, he worked with the Operating Room Nurses to ensure they had the right equipment for each patient.
Reflecting on the trips, he says: “These missions hold a special place in my heart. It’s amazing to see first-hand the impact our Life Unlimited purpose has on these patients. Our most recent trip to Guatemala involved some very complex cases, which would have been tough to action on in Canada, let alone somewhere with a limited operating facility. However, seeing Smith+Nephew step up to support these patients made me so proud to work here.”