A Weaver of Solidarity
Introducing our 2023 Solidarity Award Winner
Dr. Weaver (in blue) discussing the parts included in a spinal surgery kit with a group of neurosurgeons and residents in Bolivia.
Our traveling volunteers form the bridge that connects our US community with our partners in South America. Through their shared language of medicine, they develop bonds across borders and cultures. They make our commitment to care personal and tangible as they work shoulder-to-shoulder to provide essential healthcare to patients in need. This year at our FIESTA Gala, we are proud to present our Solidarity Award to neurosurgeon Dr. John Weaver, a 10-time missioner who personifies solidarity, generosity and a deep commitment to care.
Since 2010, John has been the primary leader of our cerebrovascular and spine surgery training activities. He has a deep, well-developed sense of obligation and commitment to people lacking access to care. To quote Albert Einstein, “only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.” This ‘living for others’ has characterized John’s loyal tenure with Solidarity Bridge and his contributions as a member of the Leadership Council of our Neurosurgery & Neurology Institute. John’s spirituality drives him to make the world a better place. He lives deliberately, with purpose and with impact. He has a giving nature, and is beloved by many.
John is a skilled surgeon who views his interaction with patients as an honor. There is a deep bond of humanity shared when someone puts their life and livelihood in your hands and gives you their full trust. John forms this same bond with medical students, residents and fellow surgeons when he is teaching. One of his Bolivian students noted that “he makes extra efforts to explain everything he is doing and why he is doing it. He seems to really care about us.”
John has traveled with us to Bolivia nearly every year since his first trip in 2009. But when COVID-19 curtailed travel, John gladly stepped forward, giving even more of himself to continue supporting his Bolivian peers. Through Zoom and with the help of interpreters, he has met monthly with his colleagues in Bolivia to discuss and consult on neurosurgical cases. He also makes himself available to many of them at any time via WhatsApp.
“When you talk to somebody every other week, you get to know them a little bit better,” John said. “It’s become a more intimate relationship ― and a much more trusting relationship.”
These relationships of solidarity are at the heart of Solidarity Bridge’s Commitment to Care, and for that, we are immensely grateful to Dr. John Weaver for his generous gifts of time, talent, and treasure.