Surgery on Sunday Needs Volunteers
By Andrew Moore, MD
Surgery on Sunday (S.O.S.) began in September of 2005. It was endorsed by the Lexington Medical Society and initially funded by a grant from the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. For most of our existence we have operated with one full time and one part time paid employees. The success of the program in providing free outpatient surgery to those who could not otherwise afford it is our family of volunteers. These volunteers give their time and talent to make each surgery day a reality, doing so with dignity and respect. Over the years we have served several thousand patients.
Our funding comes from grants, private donations, and fundraisers such as Dancing with the Lexington Stars in conjunction with the Lexington Rotary Club, Sweat for Surgeries in conjunction with Aspire Fitness, and “The Perfect 10” in conjunction with Mt. Brilliant Farm.
The vast majority of our patients are working and return to work after recovery from their surgery. They come from all over the state as well as surrounding states. The patient and families are extremely grateful for what we do for them. Some have come back as volunteers or made donations.
I feel that there are very few experiences in life that will bring you the joy at the end of a surgery day. It is not like work, but rather a group of friends coming together as a team to help someone.
In May of this year several thousand lost their healthcare coverage and we are anticipating a significant increase in need for our services. Our greatest need at present is the volunteers to care for them. Please consider helping even if it is only one Sunday a year.
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To learn more about Surgery on Sunday visit www.surgeryonsunday.org