Common humanity
We are one world. Care extends across borders, faiths, and circumstance.
About Bring Back Hope
How the journey began.
One trip. One child. One stubborn belief that distance is no excuse for inaction.
The origin
One trip. One child. One stubborn belief that distance is no excuse for inaction.
2008
Where it Began
2026
Reunion in Ethiopia
Nanci, Gary, Tesfaye, Mihretab and Teje’s reunion in Ethiopia
Meeting Dr. Rick Hodes in Ethiopia 17 years ago inspired me, with the blessing of Nanci and my children, to "bring back hope" to Tesfaye, one of Rick's complex spine patients. After a year of coordinating, Tesfaye somewhat symbolically arrived at our house on his birthday, May 20, 2009. On June 12th, the skilled spine team at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH), led by renowned surgeon Dr. Marcel Dvorak, successfully performed a delicate 14-hour life-saving spine surgery on Tesfaye.
In the course of enabling his life-saving surgery at VGH and welcoming him into our hearts and home for five months, our lives were transformed along with his. Joining Tesfaye — which means "my hope" in the Amharic language — in 2010 in his remote village for three days of celebrating his miraculous "rebirth", was truly a profound personal experience that spawned my hope and vision to help Dr. Rick Hodes' tireless work and give new life to more patients like Tesfaye. Tesfaye's story and the cause was embraced by a caring team of volunteers, and the Bring Back Hope Initiative was born.
I never imagined what fortuitously meeting Rick and Tesfaye would lead to.
So much has been accomplished with the substantial funds raised by BBH. The Dr. Hodes / JDC Spine Program has made great advances in terms of outreach for early detections, and building of surgical skills in Ethiopia. It is very exciting that on April 21, 2026 the inauguration of Ethiopia's first National Spine Centre took place, with the Ethiopian Ministry of Health present for the ribbon cutting.
Tesfaye continues to embrace his new life with hope, gratitude and a sense of joy. He is a valued member of our family and a constant source of inspiration. Tesfaye is married to his wife Teje and they now have a 3-year-old son, Mihretab — our godchild.
Tesfaye's story is typical of so many of Dr. Rick's other patients that have been previously helped by BBH, and that will be helped in the years to come. On behalf of Bring Back Hope, Rick, and his courageous patients, thank you for your caring hearts and generous support.
2026
Reunion in Ethiopia
Nanci, Gary, Tesfaye, Mihretab and Teje’s reunion in Ethiopia
— Gary Segal
BBH Founder & Chair
$6M+
Raised since 2012
100+
Surgeries / year
35
Years in Ethiopia
35+
years in ethiopia
Heart & Soul
Meet Dr. Rick Hodes.
Dr. Rick Hodes has lived and worked in Ethiopia for more than 35 years. As the JDC's Medical Director in Ethiopia, he holds clinic in the basement of a crowded public hospital, treating patients with spinal deformities, heart disease, and a long list of rare conditions. The majority are impoverished children.
In 2006, he launched a spine program with Dr. Oheneba Boachie-Adjei of Ghana and his FOCOS organization. It has grown from 20 patients to more than 400 new cases each year, and performs over 100 surgeries annually across Ethiopia, Ghana, and the United States.
Dr. Hodes is a CNN Hero, holds five honorary doctorates, and was awarded Mastership by the American College of Physicians. His work has been the subject of HBO's Making the Crooked Straight, the documentary Zemene, and Marilyn Berger's book This is a Soul: The Mission of Rick Hodes.
Milestones
Eighteen years. One unbroken thread.
2007 → today
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2007
The Journey Begins
Gary and his son Justin visit Ethiopia.
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2008
The Family Returns to Ethiopia
Gary returns to Ethiopia with his wife, Nanci and Justin. Gary Segal meets Tesfaye, a boy with a severe spinal deformity and no surgical option in Africa.
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2009
Tesfaye's surgery
After a year of advocacy, Vancouver General Hospital accepts its first such foreign case. Tesfaye's life-saving surgery succeeds.
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2010
Tefsaye’s Rebirth
Gary joins Tesfaye in his remote village for three days Tesfaye’s celebrating his miraculous "rebirth” which led to the Bring Back Hope initiative.
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2012
An Evening to Bring Back Hope
The inaugural gala at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver raises over $1 million and launches the BBH partnership with UBC BISC.
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2012
Building a Medical Partnership
In November, Gary meets with the Founder of UBC Branch, Dr. Bob Taylor, and Dr. Brian Westerberg after BBH I to plan the deployment of funds relating to the spine program. At the same time, Dr. Taylor and Dr. Westerberg also explore a separate partnership with Gondar University Hospital.
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2013
Formalizing the Partnership
The signing of the MOU is put in place from 2013-2019 between the UBC Branch for Global Surgical Care (BGSC) and Gondar University Hospital to assist with delivering trauma care services.
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2015
Assessing Ethiopia’s Spine-Care Needs
The head of spine surgery at B.C. Children’s Hospital Dr. Chris Reilly and Dr. John Street, spine deformity surgeon at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) travel with Gary to meet with Dr. Rick Hodes to complete a study and report on the situation of spine deformity in Ethiopia. During this trip, they visit Ghana as part of Dr. Oheneba Boachie-Adjei Focus hospital where they operate regularly on Rick’s patients.
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2016
A meeting in Ethiopia
Dr. Chris Reilly and Dr. John Street conducted an extensive review of spine patients in Africa and prepared a comprehensive 60-page report detailing their findings, clinical observations, and recommendations.
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2017
Bring Back Hope II
A sold-out crowd of 850 at the Vancouver Convention Centre raises $2 million in continued support of Dr. Rick Hodes and surgical training.
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2018
Turning Funds into Action
Gary returns to Ethiopia on a field trip to plan the deployment of funds raised from the BBH II event.
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2019
Donors Visit the Spine Program
Gary invites two key donor supporters on the JDC Expedition to see the work first-hand on the ground in Ethiopia. The donors find the visit to Dr. Rick’s spine clinic and meeting with patients to be very impactful and gives them a clear picture of the needs and impact that the direct funding has on the patients of the spine program.
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2022
Meeting St. Paul’s Medical Leadership
Gary meets with the Provos of the medical professionals of St. Paul’s Hospital Millenium Medical College.
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2022
A Future Home for the Spine Centre
A wing for the future spine centre is set aside at St. Paul’s Hospital Millenium Medical College.
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2024
Bring Back Hope III
Approximately 700 guests gather at the JW Marriott Parq Vancouver, advancing the goal of an in-country Spine Centre with the endorsement of Ethiopia's Ministry of Health.
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2026
The Inauguration of Ethiopia’s first National Spine Centre
Attended by BBH/JDC supporters, Dr. Rick, Ethiopia’s Minister of Health, St. Paul’s hospital dignitaries.
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2026
A meeting in Ethiopia
The BBH/JDC Spine Centre in Honour of. Dr Rick Hodes opens for clinical patient intakes, with spine surgeries scheduled to begin early next year.
What we believe
Philanthropy is a love of humanity.
Capacity, not dependency
We invest in local surgeons, nurses, and infrastructure so that hope is built to last.
Radical accountability
Every dollar is directed to a named program with measurable outcomes.
Join the movement“Be authentic in what you do. Look for the charity that speaks to you, and don’t overlook the people who are under the radar — for whom even a little can mean a lot. You never know the ripple effect your acts of kindness will have.”