We have grown enormously with caring for many more patients and exchanging knowledge with our colleagues in Mexico. I am so blessed to be part of this wonderful experience and to give back to those who so desperately need our help. When you believe in something so special and wonderful, nothing can stop you… I only wish I could do this work around the world and I only hope I had all the resources to be able to do it.
– Dr. Q

Dr. Q & Team in GuadalaJara

2012 Mission to Mexico

In 2012, Dr. Quinones and Dr. Michael Lawton from the University of Califormia (UCSF) led a dedicated and world-renowned team of doctors and surgeons including Drs. George Jallo and Kaisorn Chaichana (Johns Hopkins Hospital) and Dr. Rodrigo Ramos (The University of Guadalajara) to Guadalajara, Mexico as the second annual “Community Neurosurgery” project to serve the underprivileged population there.

This altruistic endeavor took place at the Hospital Civil Fray A. Alcalde in the city of Guadalajara, México and was supported in part by John Hopkins International. The program was also endorsed by the University of Guadalajara. The physicians were welcomed with open arms and, over the course of two days, they were able to perform six complex surgeries (all free of charge), including diagnostic assessment, clinical and academic discussions, and surgical treatment and follow-up in the selected hospital, thanks to the generous contributions of sponsors, including Medwish, Integra and Stryker. They took with them many supplies for use in surgery, with the remaining items being donated to the hospital.

They are pleased to announce that they will be returning in the summer of 2013, and plans are in full swing to return with an even bigger team and more supplies to donate, courtesy of Johns Hopkins’ organization SHARE, Medwish, and numerous medical equipment manufacturers and suppliers. The goal is to make an even bigger difference in the lives and longevity of these patients this year.

To support this endeavor, Dr. Quinones’ daughter, Gabbie, is teaming up with Alexandra Larsen, an undergrad at JHU and alumna of Dr. Q’s Brain Tumor Stem Call lab, to hold a fundraiser to raise money to cover the expenses for this trip, as well as to buy toys for the children in the cancer ward there. This fundraiser will be held on Monday, March 4 at 7pm at the Johns Hopkins Homewood campus.