In the 1980’s, orthopedist Michael Berkeley was on the high road to wealth and prestige; his Aspen, Colorado practice involved treating skiing injuries of the rich and famous, people such as Jack Nicholson and Olympic competitor Kiki Cutter.

Today Berkeley brings “first-world technology into third-world contexts,” searching the U.S. for medical supplies and equipment which he then imports into Mexico, where his patients have never seen a ski. They are subsistence farmers and their families, mostly Tarahumara Indians who suffer from high infant mortality, contaminated water, poor diet and a history of little or no health care.

Now their medical treatment comes from Mexico Medical Missions, a non-denominational Christian organization that Berkeley founded, manages and helps fund.

The move from Colorado glitz to Chihuahua poverty came when Berkeley imagined his ultimate success in Aspen, and realized that he felt no joy in the prospect.

In 1998, he gave up his stateside practice entirely and has since invested all his time and considerable resources in his work for Mexico Medical Missions.