04/10/2026
Day 5 – “Crossing the Finish Line”
Today marked our final stretch—the last chicane before the finish line. What began as a mission driven by purpose and planning became something far greater through the strength of teamwork. None of this would have been possible without the unwavering support of the local staff and partners who worked alongside us every step of the way at Millenium Heights Medical Complex (Castries) and St. Jude’s Hospital (Vieux Fort).
“Crossing the finish line at last.”
A moment that belongs not to one individual, but to every person who helped keep this mission moving forward from the very beginning. As a result of these collective efforts and teamwork, we didn’t just reach the finish line, we crossed it with efficiency, impact, and success.
“Working together, the mission and local teams were able to evaluate nearly 300 patients, perform 136 surgeries in the operating rooms, administer 20 treatments in the clinic, and complete 167 visits in the hand therapy suites, expanding the reach of care to those who needed it the most,“ shared Dr. Marc E. Walker, “We are grateful to the patients and families of Saint Lucia for entrusting us with their care.”
That evening, we celebrated the success of our shared efforts during our formal debrief of the mission alongside the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs in Saint Lucia and her incredible team of hospital administrators and clinical leaders.
We are deeply grateful for the continued support of the Ministry in welcoming our team back to Saint Lucia, and look forward to working together for many more years to come.
Dr. Grant Thomson, Founder and President of Hand Help Inc., was recognized with the Tangredi Award for Excellence for his longstanding dedication to Hand Help Inc., having devoted 27 years of service to this mission. While this trip may mark his final mission before retirement, we are confident that he will continue to have a major and lasting impact well into the future.
We extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who has supported Hand Help, since its inception in 1999. We thank the Touching Hands Project of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) as well as our families, friends, colleagues, coworkers, classmates, and committed donors from every reach, without whom this work would not be possible.
Until next year…
