Tom Flood is a Saint.

And a nurse.

He’s been traveling to some of the poorest countries in the world for more than two decades on medical missions that have changed tens of thousands of lives.

After being a super-star volunteer for various mission groups, Tom started his own mission group around 15 years ago. It’s called Surgical Volunteers International. (SVI)

SVI does incredible work. When I ran Smile Train, they were one of our most valuable mission group partners. I got to witness Tom and his team in action during a mission to Haiti when we brought TV and movie star Chris Meloni and his wife Sherman. It was quite impressive.

Here’s what Tom has to say about how he started and why he loves what he does…

“My first surgical mission was in 1999 in Hanoi Vietnam, and since then, I’ve been hooked. At that point, I had been working in the operating room for 23 years and had served in the armed forces for a number of years, but nothing quite compares to doing a mission and knowing that you have contributed to changing a life. I went on to volunteer in several other nonprofits, and in 2007, I started Surgical Volunteers International. I find the work to be satisfying, rewarding, and very enjoyable. My hope is that Surgical Volunteers International will continue to positively change lives around the world.”

Tom Flood
Founder
Surgical Volunteers International

I really admire Tom and his tireless commitment to helping the poor.