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From smuggled child to heart surgeon

How an undocumented migrant from Colombia managed to become a cardiac surgeon in the US

Harold Fernandez grew up in Colombia during the violent years of the drug cartels. In 1978 his parents brought him to the US illegally. He managed to get into a top university and became a cardiac surgeon. (Picture: Dr Harold Fernandez as a child in 1978 (l) and as a surgeon now. Courtesy of Dr Harold Fernandez.)

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12 minutes

Podcast