Dr. Gary Stewart Committed to Helping Others Year-round
When he’s not working at Resurgens Orthopaedics, the largest orthopaedics practice in Georgia, or spending time with his wife and young children, Dr. Gary W. Stewart is likely in volunteer mode, working in the community to mentor young people or providing shoes to homeless men.
On Monday, November 21, Dr. Stewart, who practices at the Resurgens offices in Henry and Morrow, once again participated in the annual outreach effort Our Hearts to Your Soles, in which he provides free foot care and shoes to homeless men.
The 2011 Our Hearts to Your Soles event, held at the Central Night Shelter in downtown Atlanta, served more than 65 men. Each man received a foot exam, a new pair of shoes, and new socks.
Dr. Stewart began working with Our Hearts to Your Soles during his fellowship in Pittsburgh, and says it’s his favorite volunteer activity.
“After working with the inaugural group in Pittsburgh, and once I relocated to Atlanta, I realized this program was desperately needed here, so we established the Atlanta branch,” said Dr. Stewart. “It’s amazing how something as simple as a new pair of proper-fitting shoes and new socks can drastically increase somebody’s quality of life.”
Nationwide, there are about 50 sites and the program provides shoes to close to 5,000 people each year.
Dr. Stewart also does volunteer work through his fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha. He spends time with young African-American men and women, encouraging them to stay in school and go to high school and college.
“We do our best to expose them to the undergraduate experience and encourage them to continue their education,” Dr. Stewart said.
Dr. Stewart also works with the Calvary Center Shelter for women and families, which hosts a blanket and coat drive every fall. Last winter, he partnered with Orthopaedic South Surgical Center in Morrow to collect more than 200 coats and several blankets to benefit the homeless men, women, and children at Calvary Refuge Center, a faith-based family shelter in Forest Park. Donations are already being accepted for the 2011 coat and blanket drive, and items can be dropped off at the Orthopaedic South Surgery Center (6645 Lake Drive, Morrow).
Dr. Stewart’s wife Africa is an obstetrician, and the couple met in medical school. They have a 15 year-old daughter, Gabrielle, five-year-old son, Ellis, and a two-year-old daughter, Reina.
Dr. Stewart specializes in sports-related injuries of the foot and ankle; total ankle replacement; reconstructive surgery related to trauma, arthritis, or a deformity; complex fracture care; the role of electrical stimulation in foot surgery; and the treatment of diabetic foot disease. He earned his medical degree at Drexel University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, where he also completed his residency and a fellowship in foot and ankle surgery.
Resurgens Orthopaedics, Georgia’s largest orthopaedic practice, has 21 offices and six surgery centers throughout metro Atlanta. With 95 physicians, Resurgens provides specialized expertise and broad experience in the areas of sports medicine, joint replacement, neck and back surgery, foot and ankle surgery, non-operative spine care, general orthopaedics, hand surgery, arthroscopic surgery, epidural steroid injection, and trauma care. Resurgens provides comprehensive musculoskeletal care in a single location, from injury diagnosis and treatment to rehabilitation services. Learn more at www.resurgens.com
Restore your health. Energize your life. Get back in motion. Resurgenize!
