Rezzimax Outreach in Ecuador: A Decade of Service, Training, and Hope
I don't think any of us knew what was going to come from that first conversation.
Looking back now, more than a decade later, I can see that what started as a simple invitation to teach a few healthcare professionals from Ecuador became one of the most meaningful humanitarian experiences of my life.
I've had the privilege of traveling to Ecuador approximately ten times with members of my family and other Rezzimax friends. We've spent nearly ten weeks there over the years... teaching, training, serving, learning, and, most of all, building relationships with some incredible people.
We've worked with all kinds of healers: doctors and dentists, nurses and physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech and language pathologists. Some of these folks were part of the Army, Air Force and Navy of Ecuador. We've traveled into communities in the Amazon basin and to the Galápagos Islands.
And everywhere we've gone, we've met people who have reminded me why we do this.
How It All Began: An Invitation to Visit
Many years ago, Dr. Washington Zambrano came to Utah from Ecuador. He's an oral surgeon specializing in dental implants, and had already been involved in humanitarian work connecting medical and dental professionals from the United States with people in Ecuador.
Dr. Zambrano had heard about some of the things we were doing with Rezzimax and our techniques, and he asked if he could come spend a few hours with us and learn.
He brought a group of doctors and dentists from Ecuador to our clinic.
We spent those hours doing what we love to do: teaching, demonstrating techniques, letting them experience the Tuner for themselves, and answering questions.
When we finished, Dr. Zambrano asked me a question that I will never forget.
He said, essentially, "Would you consider coming down to Ecuador? I could get doctors, nurses, physical therapists and other healthcare professionals together, and you could teach them how to use these tools to help people."
That was the beginning. I said yes, and I'm so grateful I did.
Something Greater Than Providing Care
Growing up in a rural farming community taught me something early in life: you help your neighbors.
When somebody needs a hand, you don't spend a lot of time wondering whether you should help. You just find a way to pitch in. Maybe it's helping with a harvest. Maybe it's fixing something that needs fixing. It could even be showing somebody how to do something you've learned over the years.
I've always believed that knowledge works the same way. If something has helped you, you should share it. And if you can teach someone else how to help people, you've multiplied the good that can come from that one interaction.
That's what we've tried to do in Ecuador. We didn't want to simply travel there, work with a few people and then go home. We wanted to teach the teachers. We wanted healthcare professionals in Ecuador to have the knowledge and tools to continue helping their patients after we were gone.
That has always been one of the things that has made these trips so special to me.
Ten Trips and Thousands of Stories
Over the years, we've had the opportunity to train professionals all over Ecuador, and we've heard story after story from people who have used what they've learned.
I don't want to pretend that we can take credit for every positive outcome we've heard about. We can't. Healthcare is complicated, and people are complicated. But I can tell you that we've seen some incredibly encouraging things.
We've watched people come in stiff and discouraged and leave smiling. Then there are the practitioners become excited because they've found another tool they can add to their practice. We've watched healers take what we've taught them and then use it to help other people.
That last part is probably what makes me the happiest, because that's where the real multiplication happens.
Bringing Resonance to South America
Over the years, we've donated more than 400 Rezzimax Tuner devices to help healthcare professionals and humanitarian organizations in Ecuador. I think it's important to understand why we donate the devices:
It's not simply about putting a Tuner into someone's hands. It's about sharing the tools and knowledge we've been inspired to create into the hands of someone who can use it to help other people. One donated Tuner can potentially be used with hundreds or even thousands of people over its lifetime.
That's what makes these donations so meaningful to me. We aren't just giving away equipment. We're trying to give people another resource they can use in serving their communities and make those connections of caring.
Every year that we return to Ecuador, we see that someone we trained has passed on this skill to even more professionals and families, I know we're doing something right.
The 2026 Trip is Fresh on Our Minds
Our most recent trip to Ecuador in August 2026 was especially meaningful.
Over four days, we were able to teach nearly 200 doctors, dentists, nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech and language pathologists.
We also donated more than 50 Tuner devices to help those professionals continue serving the people of Ecuador. We fill up as many suitcases as we can and bring them home empty.
I've been fortunate enough to travel to Ecuador several times, but every trip still amazes me. You can prepare all you want before you leave home, but you never really know what you're going to encounter when you arrive.
And that's part of the beauty of humanitarian work. You go with a plan, then you meet people... and the people become the plan.
VIDEO: Sharik Talks About Rezzimax's Humanitarian Work in Ecuador
(Narrated in 2024)
From the Amazon to the Galápagos
One of the things I love about Ecuador is how incredibly diverse the country is We've had the opportunity to serve in communities in the Amazon basin and on the Galápagos Islands. These aren't just names on a map... they're places filled with real people, families and healthcare professionals who care deeply about their communities.
One of the people who experienced this firsthand was Denise Shakespeare, who traveled with our team. Denise is an integrative wellness counselor and Foot Zone Practitioner, and she came to Ecuador ready to serve. She saw firsthand what can happen when someone who feels like they've run out of options is given another reason to hope.
She told me about a young man who was a soccer player. He had suffered an injury and had lost movement in one of his legs. They worked with him using Rezzimax techniques, and Denise said that by the time he left, he had regained full range of motion.
His parents were celebrating. He was celebrating. And suddenly, something that had seemed to threaten his ability to continue playing soccer didn't feel quite so hopeless.
Those are the moments you remember.
VIDEO: Denise Shakespeare Shares Her Ecuador Experience
Denise also told us about a woman who came in with a very restricted shoulder. She could barely move it. They worked with her using a shoulder protocol, and when they were finished, she was able to wrap her arms around the team and give them a great big hug. Denise said her whole face lit up.
I love stories like that. Not because we're looking for dramatic stories. But because sometimes hope is the most important thing you can give someone.
Dr. Zambrano's Humanitarian Efforts
Dr. Washington Zambrano has been an important part of this journey from the very beginning. He has seen the humanitarian work from the Ecuadorian side, and he has helped connect us with professionals and communities throughout the country. When I hear him talk about what we've been able to accomplish together, I'm reminded that this has never really been "our" work. It's been our shared work.
There have been:
- People in Ecuador who opened their doors to us.
- Healthcare professionals who gave their time to learn.
- Organizations that helped coordinate humanitarian efforts.
- Practitioners who took what they learned and went back to their communities. And
- Patients who were willing to let us work with them.
All of those people are part of this story.
VIDEO: Dr. Washington Zambrano Discusses Humanitarian Efforts
Dr. Zambrano has told us how impressed he is with the humanitarian efforts we've been able to participate in, but honestly, I feel the same way about him. I'm grateful for the work he has done, the relationships he has built and the opportunities he has given us to serve. Without him, I don't know that our Ecuador story would have ever begun.
Teach a Man to Fish...
One of the things I've learned through these trips is that the most important thing we can do isn't necessarily to be there ourselves. It's to teach someone else.
In 2026, we saw something that made me especially proud. Professionals who had previously been trained by us were themselves helping provide Rezzimax training during humanitarian work in Ecuador. That's exactly what we hoped would happen.
You teach someone. They teach someone else. That person helps another patient. And the circle keeps getting bigger. That's how you create lasting impact.
It's the same principle I learned growing up: you don't just do the work for someone. When you can, you teach them how to do it themselves.
One Young Woman I'll Never Forget
Of all the stories and experiences we've had in Ecuador, there are some people who stay with you. One young woman who received a Rezzimax Tuner Mini is one of those people. She has cerebral palsy, and she was incredibly grateful for the device and the people who had given it to her.
She talked about how helpful the Tuner had been for her and how it helped her relax her muscles. But then she said something that stopped me. She looked toward the camera and said:
"This is going to make me walk by myself!"
VIDEO: Girl with Cerebral Palsy Receives Tuner Mini
I want to be very careful about how I tell her story. I don't know what the future holds for her, and I would never want to make a promise about what any particular treatment or device can do. But I do know what I saw in her face:
Hope. And hope matters.
She was excited about the possibility of what might be ahead. For me, that is one of the most beautiful parts of humanitarian work.
Sometimes you can give somebody a tool. Sometimes you can teach somebody a technique. And sometimes, in the process, you can help someone believe that tomorrow might be a little better than today.
Why We Keep Going Back
People sometimes ask me why we keep going back to Ecuador. The easy answer is that there is a need. But that's not the whole answer.
We keep going because:
- Friends and relationships that have grown
- Supporting Healthcare Professionals with Tools and Training
- Serving others is the rent we pay for our room on earth. (Muhammad Ali)
I've been blessed with the opportunity to do work that I love, with an amazing team and to have a tool that we can share with people around the world. I don't want to take any of that for granted.
