Like many Vietnamese-Americans in central PA, my parents and I were refugees. We left our native country when I was 2 in 1979 and arrived a year later after surviving the escape in a dinghy loaded with fellow refugees and living on a remote island camp in Indonesia for a year, my family was relocated in central PA. What I learned about our story which I have always found remarkable is my parents made the choice to leave for the promise of better opportunities for me. They were less affected financially by the political changes of communism but recognized that for their 2 year-old daughter to pursue her own dreams and aspirations, they needed to risk everything – their lives and mine. They would be leaving everything comfortable and familiar. There was a real chance they would never see their family and friends again. They knew many families who left and did not survive. The memories they shared with me of the ocean journey was worse than what they even imagined and there were many nights of doubt even after we arrived in America that it was worth it. They did not speak English. My parents worked multiple menial jobs and we lived in the inner city projects of Harrisburg. But because of their love for me and the possibility for me to have the American Dream, they took this chance. Today, my parents still live in Harrisburg and work for the State. I studied at the National Institutes of Health and Harvard to return to central PA community almost 4 years ago as a triple board certified physician. I help families achieve their goal of parenthood as a fertility specialist and a clinical geneticist. My parents can tell you now that their journey was worth it.