At age 13, I found myself on a small boat, along with my brother, who was 11, and 10 other undocumented immigrants. Accompanied only by the darkness of the night and by the ferocious power of the Atlantic Ocean, we were crossing at midnight through one of the corners of the perilous waters of the Bermuda Triangle. Our goal was to reach the coast of Miami undetected by the US Coast Guard. We all thought that we were going to die. We were all praying, and crying, and imploring the Lord to help us stay alive. Almost 40 years later, my feelings during that ordeal are still vivid in my mind. I had not seen my parents for several years, and thus I was asking God for just 1 more second, so that I could see my parents again, and touch their faces, and feel their warmth and their love....
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1 January 2018
Commentary|
January 01 2018
Thoughts on the Immigration Debate and Health Care: A Personal Story
Harold A. Fernandez, MD
Harold A. Fernandez is professor of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, New York. He is also chief of cardiovascular surgery at Southside Hospital, Bay Shore, New York, and the director of surgical heart failure at Northwell Health System, Great Neck, New York.
Corresponding author: Harold A. Fernandez, md, Southside Hospital, 301 E. Main St, Bay Shore, NY 11706 (email: [email protected]).
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Am J Crit Care (2018) 27 (1): 74–76.
Citation
Harold A. Fernandez; Thoughts on the Immigration Debate and Health Care: A Personal Story. Am J Crit Care 1 January 2018; 27 (1): 74–76. doi: https://doi.org/10.4037/ajcc2018509
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