The only doctor in South Sudan treats half a million people, a common routine.

In the modern world, it is easy to lose faith in humanity and in the fact that there are still real, courageous and truly heroic people. But the man whose story we want to tell you proves that there's still room in our world for the future. heroism.





Editorial "Site" Tom Catena is a Catholic missionary who, despite constant war and bombing, remains a doctor in South Sudan and saves lives every day.

Unfortunately, millions of people around the world are in need of help. War, hunger, poverty, humanity is far from conquering all these scourges. One man can’t change the world, but if he can save one human life, that’s a lot. This is what guides the hero of our history. Every day he saves ordinary defenseless people who need his help.





Tom Catena was born in the United States, where he studied medicine. After graduation, he went on an internship in Kenya for 2 years, and in 2007 agreed to work as a doctor in a charitable organization. Mother of Mercy. That's when he went to Sudan.

In 2011, South Sudan became independent, fueling even more conflict, and the region became unstable. During this period, Catena's colleagues left. But he refused to leave his patients and stayed with them. The wards of Catena became about half a million people. Now Dr. Tom, as the locals affectionately call him, works 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and performs thousands of surgeries a year.





He takes delivery, treats wounds and burns, helps cancer patients. He is treated with malaria, severe pregnancy and a host of other problems. He tries to help everyone. And all this in inhumane conditions: without electricity and running water, with obsolete tools. Below is a video where you can see the conditions in which Dr. Catena works.

The doctor learned to cope with various difficulties. What he can't deal with is the suffering of his patients. “People often ask me what is the hardest part of my job. I feel all the pain of the world when children with monstrous burns die in front of me.





In 2016, Tom Catena's unimaginable courage was noticed. The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative included him in the list of finalists of the award Aurora Prize. Then the doctor could not come to the ceremony because there was no one to leave the patients with. A year later, the experts again nominated Katena for the award. This time, three doctors were sent to the Nubian Mountains to replace Katena.





He received a $100,000 grant for his own needs and another $1 million, which was shared among several charities. The doctor was asked to go somewhere and rest, but he returned to Sudan and continued his work.

He's not going to stop. Tom Catena's plan is to complete the children's ward. Construction began five years ago but has stalled due to lack of resources. The funds received by the doctor will be used to build this hospital.





Despite everything that has happened, Dr. Tom has not lost faith in himself and in the bright future. He believes that People should always help people. There is still hope in him: “I come out of my office and I only dream of one thing: getting hit by a bomb. But then I see a kid who wants to play with me, an older woman who just thanks me for being there. And I come to my senses. People who have been oppressed for centuries need compassion — someone to share their suffering with them.”

In this video, you can see the environment in which Catena works and hear his story.

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The act of this man is incredibly inspiring and makes you look at the world a little differently. What he does is worthy of admiration. He is what they call a “real hero.” In such moments, you realize that humanity still has a chance for a bright future!

We love telling the stories of people like Tom Catena, they are inspiring. Would you like to read more stories like this? Share with us in the comments!