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Apr 30, 2005

"No man remains quite what he was when he recognizes himself." --Thomas Mann

The Refugee

After Saigon fell 30 years ago, a 6-year-old Tran Nguyen Toan became a refugee as he left Vietnam in his pajamas aboard an overcrowded flotilla of 10 boats, 9 of which sank in the storms they encountered over the two week journey. With the help of strangers and the United Nations, Toan went on to became a doctor that never forgot his refugee roots, devoting himself to improving childbirth practices of nomadic populations on the Tibetan plateau. His unconventional but personally rewarding career path is a living testament to the power of providing dignity and assistance to the dispossessed.