Being Part of IEP Medical Missions from the Beginning


From Dr. Bruce Lehnert, DPM
There are 21 years for me to reflect upon since first embarking on medical missions in 1998. I was just a kid, or so it seems. When I look at the videos of those days that seem so long ago, I see how I have matured. And it's not just gray hair. It's how I've experienced Vietnam’s evolution and appreciated how my life has been changed by this personal service to these patients who are part of our mission.

It is with excitement that I have been helping to plan my tenth medical mission to Vietnam. At the outset, it seems as though it is just another medical mission. When combining our experiences in Africa and Southeast Asia, one would think this is just another successful medical mission. In fact, it is exactly the opposite. The volunteers at the International Extremity Project take their duties seriously and strive to make each and every mission better than the last.

I am so proud of everyone’s hard work and cannot wait to see everyone at the airport as we embark on this next trip. I have to thank our generous donors for making this year’s medical mission possible. Without them, we would not have changed the lives of 600 patients so far through surgical correction of the lower extremity deformities.

Bruce Lehnert is a co-founder of the International Extremity Project.

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