"...Over the years, I have seen that there is a fairly large contingency of lawyers involved in anti-trafficking work, yet only a handful of doctors..."
I graduated from medical school at Michigan State University in 1981. Although I trained in Family Practice, from the very beginning I worked in the emergency department alongside my Family Practice. In January of 1983 I closed my Family Practice and transitioned to full-time emergency medicine.
I have now practiced full-time emergency medicine for over 20 years, and I have become Board Certified in the specialty of Emergency Medicine.
My Christian faith calls me to use whatever education and gifts I have been given to help others and my heart is especially drawn to those suffering injustice. I have done missionary medicine in Appalachia, Ukraine, Romania, and Honduras.
In 2005 I first heard about human trafficking from my wife. She had watched a 48-hours news show where the reporters traveled to Romania for the express purpose of buying a human being. She shared with me how this television show had broken her heart, and that she felt God was calling her to work in this area. Approximately one-year later after extensive research on the subject, we launched a non-profit anti-trafficking organization called “Free For Life Ministries, Inc” (www.freeforlifeministries.com).
This organization was founded to fill a much needed gap that we identified in the current system, specifically to raise money for safe houses on the front lines of this fight. These organizations are in the business of rescuing and restoring victims that have been trapped in the bond of human trafficking, and we found that universally these organizations struggle for the funds to even remain open. Our government spends tens of millions of dollars every year on this issue, yet much of the money goes toward outreach, education, to study demographics and just how large this problem actually is. So as we found out, very little of this money is actually being used to help those on the front lines in this fight.
Free For Life Ministries has been able to raise over $100,000.00 since forming in order to allow us to support some of these safe houses that we work with. Over the years, I have seen that there is a fairly large contingency of lawyers involved in anti-trafficking work, yet only a handful of doctors.
For this reason I made the decision to form the non-profit organization named Doctors At War. I chose this name because this is truly a battle again some of the most sinister factions of organized crime around the world. And while we engage in this battle, the words "AT WAR" have another meaning -- “against trafficking worldwide, assisting in restoration”. So that is who we are, Doctors at war against trafficking worldwide, assisting in restoration.
It is my vision to have representatives in every country where the victims of sex trafficking suffer, and to grow to be a force bringing hope and opportunity.
Will you join us in this fight against human trafficking?
DOCTORS NEEDED
Doctors at War is currently assembling a team of physicians to help us provide care for victims of human trafficking.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Doctors At War is currently looking for nonmedical volunteers who are willing to offer their time and talents to help.