From Survivor to Surgeon

In the aftermath of the Vietnam War, Paul Luu's life was thrown into chaos. At just sixteen years old, he left his home in Saigon with his belongings packed into a single duffel bag. Separated from his family, he became one of hundreds of thousands of "boat people" fleeing communist rule, political instability, and poverty. ​ After enduring days at sea in an overcrowded boat and months stranded on a remote island, Paul was finally resettled in the United States, but his ordeal was far from over.