When a passenger collapsed mid-flight with crushing chest pain, one doctor happened to be onboard—armed with a portable EKG, emergency meds, and a calm determination to help. That doctor was Dr. TJ Trad, an invasive cardiologist returning from a medical mission in Uganda. But that dramatic in-flight save is just the beginning of his story. In this episode, Dr. Peter Crane sits down with Dr. Trad to explore: 1. How losing his father at age 9 set him on a lifelong mission of service. 2. Why he used his first physician sign-on bonus to build a free clinic in Uganda. 3. The nonprofit he founded, CURA for the World, and how it's treating over 10,000 patients annually. 4. The low-cost invention he's developing to help heart failure patients worldwide. 5. His deep belief that love and medicine aren’t mutually exclusive. Read the CNN article about the in-flight emergency: https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/18/us/plane-heart-attack-cardiologist Learn more about CURA for the World: https://www.curafortheworld.org/ Want to get involved or join the next mission trip? Reach out at: admin@doctorsmakingadifference.com More episodes at: https://www.doctorsmakingadifference.com/podcasts/ Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome & Introduction 01:20 – The in-flight emergency that caught national attention 05:45 – Packing like a humanitarian: What was in his medical go-bag 08:00 – The moment in Lebanon that sparked it all 11:30 – How CURA for the World began 14:50 – Building clinics in Uganda, Tanzania, Peru, Congo, and the U.S. 18:00 – Fundraising strategies that work (and don't) 22:30 – The long-term impact of local partnerships 26:10 – MedTech meets mission: a new tool for heart failure patients 30:00 – Why purpose protects you from burnout 33:00 – Final thoughts: You don’t have to be everywhere to make a difference #DoctorsMakingADifference #DrTJTrad #CURAfortheWorld #PhysicianLeadership #MedicalMissions #InFlightEmergency #Cardiologist #GlobalHealth #DoctorPodcast #HeartHealth #MedTech #HealthcareInnovation #PhysicianStories #PurposeInMedicine