Maria is getting a new hip. Sure, we all probably know someone who has hip replacement surgery, your grandfather, grandmother, the occasional pro athlete who took too many hits on the field, but Maria is only 23 years-old.

It’s not apparent how she lost the use of her right hip, an accident or perhaps a viral infection of some kind, but in the tiny village in Peru where she lives, she never got to play soccer with her friends, or even help her family in chores.

Just trying to relieve herself is a difficult and humiliating experience.

Maria is the oldest of 50-60 children that will be treated by the medical team led by Dr. David Shaw and his team of 18 surgeons, orthotic and prosthetic specialists, physical therapists, and nurses through the One Child at a Time and Capital City Medical Teams mission to Cuzco, Peru that I have been invited to document. I am privileged to accompany them as they help these kids, perhaps 300 in all, with a range of need like corrective surgery for club feet, limb augmentation, prosthetic fitting, and crutch and brace fittings. New chances for lives to be changed.

AmeriCares is providing the hip orthotic manufactured by Zimmer and instruments that will be needed for the procedure. It's really amazing to see how an operation like this comes together from all over the country to help those in need. I'm getting excited.

More to come.

The digital age and fundraising

I found out a few weeks ago that I was invited to document a medical expedition to Peru. A team of 19 doctors, surgeons, prosthetists, nurses and occupational and physical therapists are heading to the Sacred Valley of the Incas near Cuzco, Peru to help children with various orthotic and prosthetic needs. This humanitarian mission is an
incredible undertaking and I am very privileged to be invited along. They expect to help 300-400 children and and perform up to 60 surgeries during the expedition.

But, the trip takes place in five weeks, and that doesn't leave much time to raise funds.

I promised my wife I wouldn't hammer out our meager savings, especially so soon after the birth of our daughter, Stella, so I had to get creative in figuring out how to make this terrific opportunity happen.

A photographer on the forum site www.sportsshooter.com suggested a Website called kickstarter.com. This site provides the portal for people to get their passions in front of the faces and keystroking fingers of an audience interested in being a part of a realized dream, no matter how profound or outrageous. The key to the projects is that everyone gets something out of it. The dreamer gets his dream, and the investors get whatever return they are promised. In my case, depending on the amount, you can get your own photo montage, a soft cover book, or a hard cover coffee table book, or more.

I am pretty excited to try this out. Over the next few weeks, I am going to add more to my listing, hoping to get the trip covered. Already, I have about 10% of the trip up front here on kickstarter.com, and a Pro Photo Supply has generously offered to loan me equipment for the documentary. I'd say this is off to a pretty good kickstart!