Volunteering

When I chose medicine, I had no way of truly knowing—though I suspected it—the deep satisfaction hidden in the ability to heal. Today, I can say with certainty that surgery, and especially my specialization, which allows me to help children, brings me immense personal fulfillment and reward.

It is precisely this satisfaction that I seek by actively participating in various organizations such as FOCOS* and the Duncan Tree Foundation,** both nonprofit organizations dedicated to treating children with spinal conditions in developing countries.

I first traveled to Ghana, West Africa, in 2008, three years after graduating from the Hospital for Special Surgery, invited by my mentor, Dr. Boachie, the founder of FOCOS. There, I spent two of the most significant weeks of my medical career. I fulfilled every doctor’s dream—performing volunteer surgeries on children with severe kyphosis and scoliosis. Alongside a team of 40 volunteers, we tackled these severe spinal conditions, receiving in return nothing but radiant smiles from the children. Working with some of the world’s best spinal surgeons—including five other surgeons in addition to my mentor, Dr. Boachie—I was introduced to complex spine surgery, a highly specialized field dealing with extremely challenging cases. By 2016, I had completed 10 missions to Africa, performing similarly intense surgical work.

In 2012, we inaugurated our own Orthopedic Hospital in Ghana—a 50-bed facility equipped with two state-of-the-art operating rooms, outpatient clinics, a radiology center, and a physical therapy unit. The children we operate on in Ghana face some of the most difficult spinal conditions in the world. Their cases have helped us become better, more skilled surgeons, allowing us to provide them with the best possible treatment while also sharing our unique experiences in international conferences and scientific journals. In Ghana, the FOCOS team has pioneered spinal osteotomies (PVCR), treatment for severe scoliosis (over 110 degrees), and early-onset scoliosis interventions.

The smiles of these children and the gratitude of their parents always make up for the time I spend away from my own family, reminding me again and again why I chose to become a doctor. My dream is to establish a similar organization in Greece.

In 2017, I traveled to Davao, Philippines, for a week-long mission. Although we performed fewer surgeries in number compared to Africa, the complexity of the cases was just as high. (Read more here.)

FOCOS – Foundation for Orthopedics and Complex Spine: www.orthofocos.org
On the website, you can learn about children with severe spinal conditions and contribute to funding their surgeries. (View archive here).

**Duncan Tree Foundation: www.duncantreefoundation.org