National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is the national organization of athletes from more than 1200 US colleges. They recently profiled former Brown University football player Dr. Tom as part of their “Playing It Forward” series, which highlights former NCAA student athletes who are engaging in charitable actions.
“Antonov aircraft drop shrapnel bombs with alarming frequency on the war-torn Nuba Mountains in Sudan, as they have since 2011, sending civilians fleeing to caves and riverbeds in fear for their lives. From the time they can walk, children are trained to run to bomb shelters for safety during air raids. Neither water nor electricity is reliable, and the residents of this inhospitable region make due with few resources. Still they manage to live, pray and love.
“This is where Dr. Tom Catena, the only trained doctor/surgeon at the only surgical and referral hospital in central Sudan, chooses to make his home. Constantly on call, “Dr. Tom,” as he’s lovingly been nicknamed by patients and staff, is considered a savior in these parts.
“Thousands of miles from the comforts of his upstate New York hometown and his Brown University alma mater in Providence, Rhode Island, he simply can’t imagine living and practicing medicine anywhere else.”
Read the complete article on the NCAA website