“Dr. Tom” has been a CMMB medical volunteer in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan since 2008. He is the medical director at Mother of Mercy Hospital, which serves nearly 750,000 people. Patients seek out Dr. Tom for ailments ranging from fractures, diarrhea, thyroid disease and cancer, to an increasing number of victims of bombing attacks and malnourishment, spurred on by conflict in the region.

Dr. Tom’s dedication is so extraordinary that he was listed as one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in 2015 and was nominated in 2016 for the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity, a humanitarian award, meant to honor those whose exceptional work to preserve human life puts them in great peril. He recently received an honorary degree from Brown University, and during his speech he urged the 2016 graduating class to “…go out and make a difference in the world. You are the ones that people are counting on. This is my challenge to you.” We are truly blessed to have this brave man in our community.