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Every summer since 2013, Jun Xu, M.D., clinical assistant professor of rehabilitation medicine, bids farewell to his family, friends, colleagues and students, before boarding a plane for the African nation of Senegal. Upon arrival, he takes a 14-hour bus ride across bumpy, dusty dirt roads to the leprosy village of Fatiga, where he works tirelessly dispensing crucial healthcare, medicine and medical equipment.
As the founding chair of Africa Cries Out (ACO), Dr. Xu created the non-profit organization to provide education, access to health care, and nutrition to the people of Senegal and Gineah Bissau. “Each year, I bring approximately $500,000 of medicine, from donations and my connections with different non-profit organizations. While in Fatiga, I take care of more than 100 patients per day,” he explains.
Dr. Xu says he always dreamt of finding a meaningful way to use his medical background to give; that dream became a reality in 2013 when his office manager mentioned that her uncle went to Senegal every year. “I joined his team and realized that we had very limited funding,” he explains, “I founded ACO as a way to find support from different resources.”
Under Dr. Xu’s leadership, ACO has flourished. Beyond the annual trips to provide health care, ACO recently raised funds to build a technical school in Dakar, Senegal, where students learn professional skills including plumbing, carpentry, nursing, etc. “The first building (which is approximately 10,000 square-feet) is complete, and we are now building a 12,000 square-foot dormitory, with capacity to house about 150 students per year.”
Speaking to the risk associated with working in Senegal, Dr. Xu admits his family does worry—but they are also very supportive of his mission. “My son, Jimmy Xu, M.D., went with me to the leprosy village in Senegal when he was a medical student,” he explains, “We know what we might face, but we still like to serve the patients especially the leprosy patients in Senegal.”
When he’s not treating the people of Senegal, Dr. Xu is known as a highly regarded expert in his field—who has authored books about rehabilitation medicine and acupuncture, and has appeared on Good Morning America and News 12—and as a well-loved teacher at NYMC, where he imparts his passion for community outreach. “Every year, I presented my work to my rehabilitation medicine residents during their graduation party,” Xu states, “I encourage them to find their own way to give back to society,” he explains.