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People suffering from severe bone and joint diseases live with pain every moment of their lives. For some, the only solution is a hip or knee replacement, an expensive procedure many around the world cannot afford. An American-based organization called Operation Walk is working to heal people from Tanzania, to Nepal to the United States, who would otherwise not be able to afford treatment. "You're dealing with the pain constantly 24 hours a day you're getting no peace, " laments Steven McKellar. He is no stranger to pain. McKellar suffered from osteoarthritis, a joint disease. The simple act of standing up was excruciating. He needed a double hip replacement but couldn't afford it because he didn't have health insurance. "You just want to give up. You turn into yourself. You close off to the outside world. It is very depressing," he explains. Operation Walk threw McKellar a lifeline. He had double hip replacement surgery free of charge. The pain he experienced for so long disappeared and so did his depression. "He was standing tall. He was standing straight," says his wife, Vallie McKellar. "I saw him again, like I got my six-foot husband back again, and I could see the stress in his face had left." Lawrence Dorr, an orthopedic surgeon in Los Angeles, performed the operation. He founded Operation Walk in 1996. It also provides free surgical treatment for poor people in developing countries including Nepal and Tanzania where people with bone and joint diseases face a stigma. | 
