Finding Gratitude Through Service

For more than two decades, Mike Thomas, PA-C, has dedicated his career to helping patients move more freely and live without pain. As a Physician Assistant at JIS Orthopedics, he’s spent 21 years assisting in hip and knee replacements. It’s work that requires both precision and compassion. But when Mike joined Team Hope In Motion, that work took on a whole new meaning.

On each trip to Guatemala, Mike serves in multiple roles: pre-operative patient evaluations, surgical planning, assisting in joint replacements, and lending a hand wherever it’s needed. His focus is clear: to help each patient walk toward a better quality of life. “My favorite part of Team HIM is improving the quality of life of so many debilitated patients with severe deformities who would not otherwise have access to medical and surgical care,” he says.

For Mike, the experience is as humbling as it is rewarding. “You have people from the most remote villages with disabling orthopedic conditions that are always smiling, always grateful for help, no matter how dire their situation,” he reflects. “It makes you reflect heavily on your own life and the blessings that we take for granted every day.”

The mission work of Team Hope In Motion has a way of shifting perspectives, reminding each volunteer why they chose to serve in the first place. Mike describes being part of the team as “an unforgettable and very humbling experience,” one that renews both purpose and gratitude.

His message to others is simple but powerful: “Whether it’s your time, skill, donations, or other means of helping, the impact you make on these patients and their families is immeasurable.”

Through compassion, teamwork, and faith in action, Mike and the Team Hope In Motion volunteers continue to bring healing, one patient, one surgery, and one heartfelt connection at a time.

If you’d like to support Mike and our team in providing the life-giving gift of mobility for those in desperate need, please click below to make a donation today.