Dr. Nelson Tarus
General Surgery Resident
Tenwek Hospital
Kenya
Dr. Tarus is a second-year resident of the PAACS general surgery program at Tenwek Hospital. He is answering a powerful calling: to bring both healing and hope to those in pain.
His calling began in high school, inspired by the impact that medicine could have on the lives of those who are suffering. Later, while working in palliative and hospice care, Dr. Tarus witnessed the heartbreaking consequences of delayed surgical intervention. Patients arrived with advanced diseases that could have been treated much earlier if only surgical care had been accessible.
In 2019, he arrived at Tenwek Hospital for a medical elective and encountered something unforgettable. He saw a team of PAACS faculty and residents whose surgical excellence was matched only by their Christ-like compassion. There, he glimpsed how healing the body and sharing God’s love could go hand in hand, and he knew PAACS was the path he wanted to follow.
Today, as a PAACS resident at Tenwek, he sees this vision come alive every day. His faith shapes every decision he makes, every skill he learns, and every patient he treats, leading him to see each person as a beloved child of God. One case recently made a profound impact on him. A patient arrived unable to speak or walk because of a brain bleed. Through PAACS, Dr. Tarus has learned to always bring Christ to the center of every procedure, asking for wisdom and good outcomes. Together with a neurosurgery resident, they were able to drain the bleed. The next day the patient was moving his legs and talking. However, the real miracle came that evening when the Chaplaincy team shared that this patient had professed Christ as his Lord and Savior.
Witnessing his patient arrive unable to speak and then recover and declare his faith with his own mouth was a powerful testament to God’s healing work of body and soul.
The PAACS program has rekindled his love for God and strengthened his confidence that after five years, his heart, mind, and hands will be fully equipped to serve others in the way of Christ.
