The Film That Became a Movement
Saving Lives in Sudan
When President Omar Al-Bashir ordered the relentless bombing of the citizens of his own country in the Nuba mountains of Sudan, Dr. Tom Catena was on the ground, one doctor serving 700,000 patients. When a ceasefire was agreed to and the bombing stopped, Dr. Tom stayed, to serve the people who have put their faith and their hope in him.
Telling the Story
A college friend of Dr. Tom’s, filmmaker Kenneth A. Carlson navigated armed militia in Sudan to tell the story. Internationally acclaimed and award-winning, The Heart of Nuba, is now available through Hulu, iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Sony, Xbox and in public libraries via Hoopla. It has raised more than $600,000 for medicine, vaccinations, supplies and crucial training of Sudanese staff to support Dr. Tom’s critical, life-saving work.
Recent News:
An Update from Dr. Tom
The situation here in Nuba has been pretty stable for the past year. The Transitional government in Khartoum and the SPLA-N rebels have met recently for peace talks but were unable to reach any conclusions. The SPLA-N is demanding that Sudan have a secular (not...
Dr. Tom records COVID-19 video message from Sudan for health workers in hometown
Despite having no cell phone service and limited bandwidth available in the Nuba Mountains region of Sudan, Amsterdam native Dr. Tom Catena recorded a video message of solidarity to honor health workers in his home town of Amsterdam, NY during the COVID-19 crisis and...
Crazy Amazing Humans with Katrina Carlson Featuring Dr. Tom
Katrina Carlson has always been a front-line supporter of Dr. Tom and The Heart of Nuba, writing and performing "Bloom," the original song for the film, and traveling across the globe to perform at special screenings. So we are excited to announce the...
Reflections on an Earlier Interview
On March 27, 2018, Ishay Sesay of CNNi did a riveting 20 minute segment wtih Kenneth A. Carlson and Dr. Tom Catena about The Heart of Nuba. Carlson and Catena both talk about their aspirations for the Nuba people, which included al-Bashir being brought to...
“Heroic American Surgeon” Dr. Tom Earns Top Medical Missionary Award
Dr. Tom Catena has been honored with a top medical missionary award, African Mission Healthcare (AMH). Catena will be presented with the Gerson L'Chaim Prize for Outstanding Christian Medical Missionary Service at an awards ceremony in New York City, April...
Special Screening of The Heart of Nuba in Yerevan, Armenia
The Heart of Nuba screened at the 2019 Impact Humanity Television and Film Festival in Yerevan, Armenia in October. The film festival is produced under the umbrella of the Aurora Foundation. The Heart of Nuba received a ten minute standing ovation,...
Golf Event Raises more than $100,000 for Mother of Mercy Hospital
Steve Kettelberger, President of Blue Rock Construction in Philadelphia, and Dr. Tom first met while playing football at Brown University. In 2014, Steve joined Dr. Tom at the National Football Foundation Annual Awards Dinner where Dr. Tom was awarded the...
Dr. Tom, With Aurora Delegation, Receives Blessing from Pope Frances
On October 2, a delegation from the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative including Dr. Tom Catena received a special blessing from His Holiness Pope Francis during their visit to the Vatican. The visit was part of a wider trip from the group to Rome, during...
Nicholas Kristof: These Are Stories That Still Touch Me
New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof travels around the U.S. and the world, shedding light on crises and unsung heroes. After 35 years at the Times, he compiled some of the work that is still particularly meaningful to him. Amid touching stories of...