Sign up to receive Peter's email newsletter: https://bit.ly/4c602k2 Original release date: 2/11/19 In this episode, Tom Catena, a missionary physician who runs Mother of Mercy Hospital in the Nuba Mountains in Sudan, describes some of his extraordinary work as the only doctor in a remote, war-torn region of Africa. In terms of individual lives saved, you could argue that there is no other person on the front lines doing more than Tom. Additionally, we explore the manner in which the Nuba people die, which is in striking contrast to the ubiquity of chronic disease and self-harm in the west, despite the extreme poverty and unimaginable suffering experienced by the Nuba people. Lastly, we discuss the lessons to be gleaned from the Nuba people, who despite their suffering, live so harmoniously, happily, and resiliently. To support Tom’s mission please visit https://africanmissionhealthcare.org/. We discuss: -Background, medical training, and early days of missionary work in Africa [9:00]; -Tom arrives at Mother of Mercy Hospital in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan, civil war breaks out, and his staff evacuates [15:45]; -Learning surgery on the job and earning the trust of the community [40:45]; -The amazing people of Nuba, and why Nuba feels like home to Tom [51:30]; -NY Times article about Tom’s work, and Tom’s new venture on the board of Aurora Prize Foundation bringing awareness and funding to other missionaries doing great work [1:03:30]; -Tom’s mind-blowing ability to deal with chaos while seeing hundreds of patients per day [1:15:45]; -The most afraid Tom has ever been, and how he copes with the emotional trauma of his daily experiences [1:23:30]; -The basic tools, technologies, and medicines that Tom is lacking that could save many lives [1:33:30]; -The logistical challenge of helping Tom’s hospital, and what Tom really needs [1:39:15]; -Diseases in the adult population [1:42:30]; -Living without possessions, finding meaning, and being a missionary [1:59:30]; -Sense of purpose, happiness, and suicide: Contrasting the US with Nuba [2:11:00]; -Other than donations, is there a way people can help Tom and other similar causes? [2:19:15]; -The food in Nuba [2:22:30]; -Tom’s annual bout of malaria [2:27:30]; -Patients that Tom will never forget [2:29:45]; -Resources for people wanting to get involved in helping Tom’s work [2:34:45]; -Peter tells a story that defines Tom [2:36:00]; and -More. Show notes page: https://peterattiamd.com/tomcatena/ About: The Peter Attia Drive is a weekly, ultra-deep-dive podcast focusing on maximizing health, longevity, critical thinking…and a few other things. With over 10 million episodes downloaded, it features topics including fasting, ketosis, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, mental health, and much more. Peter is the founder of Attia Medical, PC, a medical practice with offices in San Diego and New York City, focusing on the applied science of longevity. The practice applies nutritional biochemistry, exercise physiology, sleep physiology, techniques to increase distress tolerance, lipidology, pharmacology, and four-system endocrinology to increase lifespan (delaying the onset of chronic disease), while simultaneously improving healthspan (quality of life). Learn more: https://peterattiamd.com/ Subscribe to receive exclusive subscriber-only content: https://peterattiamd.com/subscribe/ Sign up to receive Peter's email newsletter: https://peterattiamd.com/newsletter/ Connect with Peter on: Facebook: http://bit.ly/PeterAttiaMDFB Twitter: http://bit.ly/PeterAttiaMDTW Instagram: http://bit.ly/PeterAttiaMDIG Subscribe to The Drive: Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/TheDriveApplePodcasts Overcast: http://bit.ly/TheDriveOvercast Spotify: http://bit.ly/TheDriveSpotify Google Play: http://bit.ly/TheDriveGooglePlay