On Jan. 31 “NBC Nightly News” featured Cornell trustee Dr. Larry Dorr ’63 and Operation Walk, the charity he founded, in its “Making a Difference” segment.
The piece focused on the expansion of Operation Walk, which Dorr founded in 1994 to provide orthopedic care in developing nations, to help uninsured patients in the United States. So far, Operation Walk has helped 85 uninsured Americans regain the ability to walk.
“These people have all lost their hope for their tomorrows,” Dorr told NBC.
The piece interviewed several patients who had severely reduced mobility and who benefited for Operation Walk surgeries. Dorr, along with 60 other surgeons, performed the operations.
Dorr, who received the Cornell Distinguished Achievement Award in 2003 and provided the vision to create Dimensions: The Center for the Science and Culture of Healthcare, has involved Cornell students in Operation Walk since 2005. Students interested in careers in health care have gone on Operation Walk trips to China, Peru, Vietnam, El Salvador and other countries. You can see reflections on their trips here. Dorr received the 2005 Humanitarian of the Year Award from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons for his work with Operation Walk.
Dorr is the author of the novel “Die Once, Live Twice,” and 10 percent of the proceeds from sales of the book go toward Operation Walk.
For more information, you can read about Dimensions and Operation Walk and read a short biography of Dorr.