Surgeries Overseas Assistance Program

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Surgeries Overseas Assistance Program

Fostering international surgical teaching experiences & healthcare access

07/28/2025

SOAP is pleased to share we have earned platinum designation with candid.org! We are honored to have your support and strive to maintain full transparency as we learn and grow together! SOAP’s 2024 annual report is available on our website - www.operationsoap.org

02/20/2025

Look who’s up and walking! This is James, a 32 year old who broke his leg in a fall from a roof. His surgery was one of the first that SOAP participated in during our month here! He has been diligent with his PT, and we have often seen him walking in the halls with a walker. Today we were so happy to see him up with only a crutch!

.owens

02/18/2025

Please meet Sadamu, a 28 year old who suffered a broken arm in a car accident. He was not able to receive the surgery he needed because he was unable to pay. However, because of your gifts, SOAP was able to step in and fund his surgery! Dr. David Weiss, our visiting trauma orthopedic specialist from UVA, and Dr. Virg operated on Sadamu to fix his radius and he is recovering well!
Following the surgery, Dr. David did some in-depth teaching with the residents in the anatomy lab, discussing the structures of the arm. So much teaching and healing going on!

02/16/2025

Praygod is healing well!
The SOAP team is frequently asked by KCMC residents to consult on
patients in their outpatient clinics. We were asked to give an opinion
Praygod, a 9 year old boy with a smile to light up the room! He broke his
ankle last week, while running with his friends, and was treated with a cast
at KCMC. His father brought him to clinic for followup. Dr. Bobby spent
time teaching physical exam skills and X-ray reading to the resident in
clinic. He confirmed that Praygod’s fracture did not involve the ankle growth plate, that he was healing well and that he did not need further intervention
at this time! Wonderful news for Praygod and his family

02/15/2025

Spine Surgery for Misiro!
Meet Misiro, a 24 year old young man who broke his neck in a fall
from a roof. He is pictured here with Dr. Ameen from our SOAP
team, who be doing a spine fellowship next year when he
finishes his residency at Wake Forest. Dr. Ameen and Dr. Virg
scrubbed in with the spine team here at KCMC to operate on the
spine in Misiro’s neck. They successfully fused the neck bones
to stabilize his spinal cord! We are delighted to report that Misiro
is doing well after his surgery!

02/13/2025

Fun and Selfies with and our friends at KCMC.

02/12/2025

There are many parts to an international medical outreach. Everyone gets a chance to dive in and help and teach and clean and eat! Special thanks to .owens and Ameen Barghi for their help this year!

02/08/2025

Knee Surgery for Suleman!
Suleman is a delightful 25 year old young man who, unfortunately, broke the top of his tibia
(lower leg bone) into multiple pieces in a motorbike accident. Dr. Virg performed his surgery
alongside Dr. Johnson, one of the KCMC attendings, and another Tanzanian resident. From a
teaching perspective, Suleman’s was an excellent case that generated a lot of discussion and
learning, both in the operating room and in the classroom (the room was literally overflowing
with residents)! From a patient perspective, Suleman was moving his knee well with a huge
grin just days after surgery!
Thank you, Friends of SOAP, for helping Suleman on his road to recovery!

02/06/2025

Introducing Saimon— Perhaps the Cutest SOAP Patient to Date!
Hello, again, Friends of SOAP! Our SOAP Team is back in Tanzania and has hit the ground running! Today, I’m delighted to introduce eight month
old Baby Saimon ! He presented to Orthopedic Clinic with a painful right
shoulder. The Tanzanian Resident that was seeing him consulted our
SOAP team. Saimon had a septic shoulder joint with an early infection of
his humerus (upper arm bone). Dr. Ameen from our SOAP team joined the
Tanzanian residents in the OR to wash out Saimon’s infection. Following
his surgery, Saimon has been treated with antibiotics and is doing very
well! He immediately became the darling of the Ladies Ward, charming all
the other patients in the room! Be sure to zoom on the patient in the
background to see her huge grin!
Please follow along with our mission, and know how much we appreciate your support!

12/24/2024

Dear Friends of SOAP-

What an amazing ride 2024 has been for SOAP!

Through your generosity, we have been able to begin new projects and work to expand SOAP’s reach! To date, more than $34,000.00 has been donated to bolster the education of young surgeons in Tanzania and facilitate the care of patients in need. We are honored to receive your trust in our mission.

SOAP’s next mission to Tanzania is approaching fast. We continue to collect supplies for our trip and look forward to this next chapter of teaching and care. Be sure to follow along on Facebook, Instagram, or www.operationsoap.org for details of our trip.

Our other large project for 2024 has been the collection and shipment of hospital supplies to KCMC via ProjectCURE. This is SOAP’s largest endeavor to date and we hope to see shipment finalized in the next few months! KCMC in Moshi has been an enthusiastic partner as we work to navigate the path of customs and overseas shipping! What an amazing day it will be to see our container arrive at the hospital!

Thank you again for your commitment and support of SOAP. You make SOAP! Blessings of the Season to you all!

With love,
Bobby
Chair, SOAP

SOAP Board of Directors:
Matt Braswell
Ginny Casey
Jennifer Erdin, Executive Director
Jonathan Faggart, Vice Chair
Jason Halvorson
Natalie Marenghi

Text “SUPPORTSOAP” to 44-321 to Donate

12/18/2024

Also back by popular demand is Dr. Halvorson! This will be his third trip to Tanzania, and the KCMC Residents can’t wait! As an experienced educator with a passion for overseas work, Dr. Jason serves as the Ortho Residency Program Director at Wake Forest and is also affiliated with the Office of Global Health. He is the proud father of 3—Logan, Callum and Bo— and husband to Elizabeth (AKA— Dr. Elizabeth Halvorson, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Wake Forest and Assistant Residency Program Director)— Yet another family resting solidly on the principles of medical service, teaching, and outreach! Not to be left out, there are also 3 dogs, 2 cats, a turtle, and a bearded dragon that think of Dr. Jason as their Viking Father (he is from Minnesota, after all!). And, for the secret of the day— while Dr. Jason’s appearance reflects his love of Metallica, he is also a closet Swiftie!

Undergrad— Notre Dame (he can’t help but saying, “Go Irish!”)

Medical School— Vanderbilt

Ortho Residency— Wake Forest

Trauma Fellowship— Hospital for Special Surgery, NYC

Text “SUPPORTSOAP” to 44-321 to Donate

12/12/2024

Returning for her third trip to KCMC is Dr. Casey! She specializes in pediatric orthopedics, a much needed area of instruction in Tanzania. She has a gift for teaching surgical planning, and the KCMC residents literally soak it up! They are already scouting for children with orthopedic deformities for her to see in February. A 4th generation surgeon with a passion for teaching, Dr. Casey is following in the footsteps of her father. He was an OB/GYN who traveled the world, teaching and developing long standing relationships with other OB/GYN doctors in locations such as Bangladesh, ex Soviet Georgia and Kazakhstan— An exact alignment with SOAP’s mission! Dr. Casey strives to contribute positively to the teaching of pediatric orthopedics globally, as her father did for OB/GYN. She is also working to instill this desire in her children— Currently 2/3 of them are planning on being surgeons! Dr. Casey’s oldest is in the application process for med school and he will join her in Tanzania in February!

Undergrad— UNC Chapel Hill

Medical School— University of Oklahoma

Ortho Residency— University of Utah

Pediatric Ortho Fellowship- Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children

Text “SUPPORTSOAP” to 44-321 to Donate

Address

Concord, NC
28027

Website

http://Www.operationsoap.org/

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