More than 100 patients have undergone gallbladder or hernia surgery so far in 2024 through mobile surgery campaigns to municipal hospitals throughout Bolivia.

The Solidarity Bridge Neurosurgery and Neurology Institute (NNI) is working with key public hospital partners in Paraguay and Bolivia to develop holistic “brain teams” to improve clinical outcomes for patients with neurological disorders.

Our mission team had the pleasure of visiting one of the sites of our mobile laparoscopic surgery campaigns to see the impact of our partnership in the hospital and the surrounding community.

A Bolivian nursing student needed highly-specialized brain surgery unavailable in the public healthcare system in his country. Read about his international journey to care and healing.

“Successful surgical training is not dependent on the equipment, the finances, or even the planning as much as on the dedication of the people and their motivations for being here.”

For 25 years, Solidarity Bridge has provided a way for individuals and entities of the Archdiocese of Chicago and beyond to live out their call to global mission. Our shared commitment—to respond to the gospel call to heal the sick in a spirit of solidarity—remains steadfast.

Dr. Via-Reque’s wholehearted involvement and expertise helped make it possible for Solidarity Bridge to steadily expand its outreach.

Fr. Bob Oldershaw’s generosity of spirit, time, talent, and treasure, along with his inspiring life-long example of living out the virtue of solidarity, make him a consummate honoree for our lifetime achievement award! 

Amid our long-term goals and strategies, the day-to-day work of Solidarity Bridge always comes back to serving the needs of the patient in front of us. Each brings a unique story, and it is a gift to be invited to be a part of it. For both our patients and ourselves, these encounters can be fraught with heartache, but are also a source of great joy

Bolivian doctors interested in pursuing sub-specialized training such as oncological surgery have very limited training options in-country. Our mission trip offers an opportunity for these doctors to operate alongside a surgeon who has performed thousands of the most difficult pancreatic and hepatobiliary surgical procedures.

From virtual lectures to hands-on practice, our two day Spinal Surgery Workshop gave more than 25 neurosurgical residents from Bolivia and Paraguay an opportunity to advance their skills.

Daniela has two beautiful children, both born with congenital heart defects. Their symptoms are treatable through surgery, but for her family living on a modest income, the care they needed was beyond their means.