Dr. Craig Hobar was recently recognized by Big-hearted, for his work with LEAP Global Missions. Big-hearted is a blog dedicated to recognizing leaders in the community who have seen a need, and not just had a conversation about it, but actually did something about it. Big-hearted likes to find socially-conscious companies and nonprofits to interview in order to discover their motivations behind their work, how they got to where they are, the obstacles they run into, and what they have accomplished for the greater good of community.
The work that the LEAP Global Missions does is exactly the type of work that Big-hearted loves to find in the community, and it was an honor for Dr. Hobar to receive that recognition.
LEAP started 24 years ago in 1991 when Dr. Hobar and his wife recognized the overwhelming need for medical care in the Dominican Republic after their initial trip to the country. They had the realization that one trip would not suffice to meet the medical needs of the Dominican people. From here, the birth of LEAP Global Missions happened and since then has grown exponentially.
Doctors who have worked alongside Dr. Hobar have nothing but positive things to say to say about him. Dr. Grant Gilliland has known and worked with Dr. Hobar for 28 years and has also traveled on 17 mission trips with him.
“Grant would say Ephesians 4:2 – ‘Be completely humble and gentle, be patient, bearing one another in love’- would best describe Dr. Hobar. Dr. Grant Gilliland said, “For the last 5 years my family has witnessed the tremendous impact of hope, love, and new beginnings that these surgically teams have given to so many people. Dr. Hobar’s passion, has changed the lives of thousands of patients, but also the lives of hundreds of doctors, nurses, and volunteers that have served on the LEAP teams.”
LEAP now visits not only the Dominican Republic, but also several countries all over the world, including Belize, Haiti, India, and Zimbabwe. When visiting these countries, volunteer doctors and nurses perform elective surgeries that consist of cleft lip and palate and ocular plastics, among other surgical specialties. While in these countries, the teams seek to establish long-term relationships with the people of the community so that they are able to build trust, provide education, and continue to return and provide medical services for those who may need care long-term.
“Children with facial abnormalities like cleft palate are often shunned by their communities with no hope for a productive future. They have no access to quality medical care in their own countries and no resources to pay for the surgical procedures that are required to correct their deformities.LEAP provides free surgical services to restore their features and empower them to return to their communities as welcomed, participating members.”
Dr. Hobar has transformed, enriched, and enhanced lives through his programs, including the Landmark Program, Mission Program, and the International Disaster Relief Program. The services these programs provide, are ones that the people in these countries would never have access to due to lack of medical resources in their communities. It is a privilege for the LEAP foundation and Dr. Hobar to be noticed by different blogs and publications, like Big-hearted. It only continues to help grow the organization, and in turn, continues to help those who are less fortunate to have the medical care that we are provided in the United States.
To learn more about LEAP including how to get involved, how LEAP serves the community, and who LEAP truly is, please visit the LEAP website.
