Young's experience in the third-world setting -- with poverty, illiteracy and cross-cultural barriers -- made him want to care for the poor and disadvantaged, he says.

He returned to Yemen in 1987 and 2003.

In 2004, he became a staff surgeon at Kaiser Permanente Fresno. In the past several years, he has spent volunteer time in Africa -- Kenya, Cameroon and Gabon.

During these trips, he worked with the PAACS program, which trains African surgeons in a residency program aligned with Loma Linda Medical School. After their training, the surgeons pledge to remain in Africa, providing much-needed surgical care in rural settings.

In Gabon, Young helped train Dr. Jean Claude Bataneni -- and a friendship developed. Bataneni completed his training and returned to a poorly equipped hospital in his home in Nebobongo.

Young felt so moved by Bataneni's commitment to Nebobongo that he went there also to help.

The hospital serves about 114,000 people in a local health district and receives referrals from surrounding districts. It has only 100 beds and a small staff. It also is without running water, sewage disposal and electricity. Supplies also are hard to find. Bandages and used gloves have to be steam-cleaned for re-use.

Tears well in Young's eyes when he talks about the people of Nebobongo, saying: "It's hard to define. I admire them. ... It's their determination, their persistence, their hospitality."

Motivated by faith

Young believes his volunteer work fulfills a responsibility as a Christian to care for others in need.

He cites 1 Chronicles 21:24: "I will not offer to the Lord ... a sacrifice that costs me nothing."

Young offers himself and his skills.

"To me, it's like putting money in an offering plate," he says. "I feel Christ has done so much for me that this is like a little 'thank you.' "

In Fresno, Young has provided free hernia repair surgeries to six Valley residents who didn't have insurance and couldn't afford to pay for the operation. The surgeries, follow-up visits and medications were paid for with a grant provided by Kaiser Permanente Fresno's Community Benefit program. Referrals were made by local health clinics.

"For everybody, my motivation is to give them the best care I can -- this is a precious jewel that I need to handle carefully because it belongs to the creator," he says.

Young also praises his wife's contributions. In his volunteer trips, she also has gone half the time.

"She doesn't want to go and do nothing, but when she goes, she is often the one that makes more personal connections than I do," he says. "After we spent two months in Kenya, the pediatric hospital chaplain, a sweet lady, cried because my wife was leaving. No one cried because I was leaving."

The Youngs also co-teach a Sunday school adult Bible study class at Sierra Heights Baptist Church. She teaches another Bible study at church on Tuesdays. She also volunteers at the neighborhood McCardle Elementary School that the church partners with.

He says, "She is really a better person than I am."

Neta Young knows her husband well. He is humble and doesn't like attention on him. So when Don Hargis, pastor of Sierra Heights Baptist Church, recently asked her about a day the church could recognize Young for his award, she replied, "Could you do it when he's not there."