Support Daniel & Ryan Shelton’s Medical Mission!

Thank you for helping me in Ecuador for the last 2 medical missions.  This year I invite you to help me bring along my oldest of 3 sons Ryan Shelton to Guatemala so that we can perform MSK ultrasounds on dozens of underserved children before they undergo life changing orthopedic surgeries.   The last 2 trips to Ecuador were very educational for me and I’m sure just as helpful to those on the ground.  

Great ultrasound teaching session with the local surgeons

The unique thing about these trips is the opportunity to take the information learned from the diagnostic ultrasound examinations performed at the beginning of the week on each patient into the operating room. Seeing and verifying the outcome of the ultrasound has not only helped my confidence in what we see with ultrasound, but has shifted my approach to many examinations according to what the surgeons might be looking for in the operating room under a scope.  

I’m hoping that Ryan will see this mission as an opportunity to sharpen his sense of direction as he starts college in the fall of 2026. Ryan is planning to study kinesiology at Dallas Baptist University. 

What happens on these medical mission trips?

Day 1: Travel = loading supplies and packing the airplane in San Fransisco, flight to Guatemala, unload and transport supplies to location

Day 2: triage patients largely with ultrasound for most conditions and screen for anesthesia if they go to surgery.  We also perform many ultrasound guided injunctions on those that are not surgical candidates that day. 

Days 3-7: surgery days. Anesthesia team uses ultrasound to perform nerve blocks on each surgical case maximizing post-operative comfort for several days after surgery.

Days 8-9: final rounds on cases,  teams go to local markets and attractions before flying home.

Ecuador case study:

We had the privilege of helping a young kiddo with a congenital deformation of the hand called Syndactyly.  It is birth defect where fingers and toes are fused or webbed occurring when digits fail to separate in the womb.  Often due to genetics with types ranging from skin-only (simple) to bone fusion (complex). The problem that could be quickly solved, before surgical separation, using an ultrasound examination, was to be sure that the hard cord felt under the skin was just skin, and not a tendon.  X-Ray would not be helpful and MRI was not an option, so ultrasound was the tool of choice in this case.  A quick ultrasound revealed that the hard tissue under the skin was not a flexor tendon but only skin.  Meaning the kiddo could go to surgery and be able to extend his finger further than ever before.  The relief on the parents face and eyes was rewarding for everybody in the room when it was announced that we could get this answer for them right there in the room.   I was was able to perform the ultrasound, observe the surgery and see the outcome with prescribed recovery.   

Ultrasound is only really limited to imaging what is superficial to the bone. That means we can ultrasound cartilage, ligaments, joint capsule, tendons, bursa, nerve, muscle and even skin for foreign bodies such as splinters, glass and other embedded traumatic objects that are often not even visible on X-Ray, CT or MRI.  

Ultrasound provides the ability to watch these orthopedic conditions in motion, allowing a much clearer whole picture of what needs to be addressed and how to manage followup care.  Ultrasound can also be used to guide injections and some surgical instruments in real time allowing a more minimally invasive approach to micro or non-surgical orthopedic interventions.  I'll be assisting Dr. Atkin in pre-operative diagnostic MSK ultrasounds of dozens of children and community members that do not have access to other forms of diagnostic imaging such as MRI, CT and in many areas X-Ray.  Your donation will exclusively be used for team travel, meals, lodging, surgical instruments and equipment. 

Help us on this prestigious mission to Guatemala by donating any amount by March 19th 2026.  All proceeds contribute to our travel, meals and lodging.  

Below are photos from Ecuador 2025 - THANKS TO YOU ALL WHO SUPPORTED OUR MISSION!

Bags, bags, bags

Osteogenisis imperfecta (brittle bone disease) patient had to wait until they could manage not having a fracture for a certain amount of months before the team could consider surgery.

Lots of teaching

Lots of coffee (tiny cups)

So small, fragile and a great reminder why we are there

One of my favorite experiences on the mission! Don Fithian MD and son Drew Fithian MD operating on a complex knee case. Dr. Fithian Sr. brought his son on operation rainbow missions growing up now they have the opportunity to operate together on the missions!