Dr. Olawale Sulaiman is a busy and generous surgeon.

He is based in Jefferson, Louisiana but he gets on a plane every month to deliver much needed healthcare to citizens in his native Nigeria, according to Yen.

Sulaiman began his service in 2010 by making trips every few months to perform spinal and neurosurgery in his homeland for free. Now, he goes every month and spends seven to 10 days helping people with little to no access to proper healthcare.

The doctor makes personal sacrifices so he can continue his mission of saving lives. He misses out on quality time with his three children when he leaves. Sulaiman also took a 15 percent pay cut so he could have a flexible schedule.

Since he began his trips, Sulaiman has operated on 500 people and administered preventative care to 5,000 people.

“My philosophy is whether you are Nigerian, Vietnamese, an American, everybody should have access to some degree of good quality healthcare,” Sulaiman told WWLTV.

Sulaiman and his team have performed miracles. In December, Sulaiman operated on a man whose back pain affected his ability to walk. The man was able to walk unaided a day after the surgery. Another of his patients is also able to move independently after the doctor did emergency surgery for a brain tumor that previously left her comatose.

“That’s why I continue to do it. Because I think you can really make a significant impact on people that would otherwise be hopeless,” he said.

In addition to performing vital surgeries, Sulaiman created the RNZ Foundation to build a medical center in Nigeria. The grounds will serve as a place where his team can continue to provide healthcare and train up aspiring physicians.

Sulaiman is proud to be able to serve his purpose.

“I feel privileged,” Sulaiman said. “I feel like I have been given an opportunity to impact somebody’s life.”

Dr.-Olawale-Sulaiman

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