Meet the Doctor Behind Hundreds of Lives Saved

Every year since 2010, Dr. Ted Belanger, an orthopedic spine surgeon from Texas, has traveled to Ethiopia with a dedicated volunteer team to provide life-changing surgery for our patients suffering from severe spinal deformities.

Over the past 16 years, they have operated on more than 300 patients — many of whom had lived for years with pain, disability, and little hope of ever accessing specialized care.

A typical mission day begins before sunrise.

After a quick breakfast, the team heads to the hospital, where everyone immediately steps into action. Some prepare the operating rooms, others check on recovering patients, review scans, and comfort families anxiously waiting outside the wards. Soon after, hours of highly complex surgery begin. Most days involve two or three major operations.

Behind every surgery is a human story.

One of those stories is Zakir Yesuf, an 11-year-old 5th grade student from Addis Ababa who loves mathematics and enjoys reading books in his free time. Before surgery, his spinal deformity often left him exhausted and made everyday activities difficult.

As part of his treatment, Zakir spent an entire month in traction — a difficult experience for such a young child — but one that brought him closer to the surgery he had been waiting for. His traction treatment was managed in Ethiopia by our trained Ethiopian spine surgeon, Dr. Abraham Tadele, reflecting the growing local capacity being built through this program. Despite the challenges, Zakir remained strong and hopeful throughout the process.

Today, Zakir is recovering well after his surgery and is excited to return to school and continue pursuing his education. His mother shared how relieved the family feels, knowing that his future is now filled with greater hope and possibility.

Stories like Zakir’s are the reason Dr. Belanger and his team continue to return to Ethiopia year after year.

"For some of the patients, we literally give them their life back"

~Dr. Ted Belanger

So far during this year’s mission, 30 patients have successfully received surgery. However, 15 more patients are still waiting today for the care they urgently need.

Please consider donating to help us operate on these patients still waiting for life-changing surgery.

Thank you for standing with us and making these transformations possible.

With gratitude,

Dr. Rick Hodes, Dr. Ted Belanger, Dr. Serena Hu & Dr. Bill Stevens