HOPE THAT MULTIPLIES
Going Beyond Traditional Missions
Pediatric Orthopedic Project (POP) brings hope to the developing world by transforming the lives of children with orthopedic conditions like scoliosis. However, POP does much more than mission trips. POP focuses on sustainability by providing education to Dominican doctors, nurses & medical staff that collaborate on each mission trip. Beyond that, POP provides resources and equipment to failing areas in the regional children’s hospital and sponsors children with orthopedic conditions that do not need surgery but need help in obtaining medications, physical therapy or equipment. What’s most amazing is that throughout all of its expansion, POP has remained fully volunteer run. Few foundations provide FREE scoliosis surgeries to the needy in the developing world because of their complexity and risks, and of those that do, POP is the only one that runs on volunteers.
All Volunteer Run! 100% OF OUR DONATIONS GOES TOWARDS OUR EFFORTS
MISSION 15 WAS OUR MOST SUCCESSFUL YET
Our awesome team provided FREE spinal surgeries to 23 patients total; 10 children and 11 adults bringing our grand total this year to 27 patients! Special thanks to Medtronic, OrthoPediatrics and Novabone for providing the donations of implants and bone graft that made these surgeries possible.
Before and After Images
1 YEARS OF SERVING THE IMPOVERISHED IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD
Co-Founder of POP, Dr. Madelyn Stazzone receives Jefferson Award for Multiplying Good
Our Metrics As of 2025
✔ 803 surgeries
✔ 15 Mission Trips
✔ 51 hospital improvements
✔ 75 medical personnel educated
POP Approach to Mission Work
Educational Programs
From the beginning our primary focus has been education. We believe that the true measure of our success is what happens after a mission has been completed. Our motto is the old proverb: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”
Mission Trips
As of October 2025, a total of 803 surgeries have been performed on 792 patients due to our efforts (mostly for scoliosis); 147 of these through our 15 mission trips and most importantly, 656 additional patients by the hands of the Dominican surgeons and staff that we have trained throughout the years.
Hospital Improvements
During our surgical mission trips, we observe and take note of how we can help, but we partner with the local staff to understand where they need our help most. We know that if we can help them on their terms, they can continue to better meet the needs of the members of their community.
Each patient receives a bear with our logo right before going into surgery. They also receive a children’s book: “Diez Ositos en una Mision” (Ten Bears on a Mision) written by POP Co-founder & President, Dr Mady Stazzone. The book was inspired by previous patients and their bears.
Please go to the Donation Page to purchase a book or make a $25 donation to cover the cost of a bear and book for a patient.
POP News
•We extend a warm welcome to our new assistant, Dr. Marriany Veras who hails from Santiago, DR and now resides in Indianapolis.
•Special thanks to our summer marketing interns:
Ramya Saravanan, Sadie Kohlman, Dawson Hicks from Indiana University and Ashley Nalls from Butler University for a job well done!
