The family—a real family that lives in the greater Hartford area—has three children. The parents have, through the years, either owned or operated a series of small retail stores. Nothing too impressive, but generally successful. They own their own home, belong to a local church where the mother sings in the choir, and have volunteered at their children's activities through the years. They are quiet, modest, friendly people.

The children are two girls and a boy. They all excelled in school and attended, at significant financial sacrifice to the family, a private high school. There they also excelled, and each child played at least one sport and studied a musical instrument. Although they are not prodigies, they were good enough to play solos at their school and church.

The children were all accepted at Ivy League colleges, with some scholarship aid, where they also excelled. Each of them then went on to medical school. One became a transplant surgeon and wrote a book about the profession, one became a cardiac surgeon at a major teaching hospital, and one became a medical researcher, advising federal health policy leaders on the effect of federal laws on patient care.

This family has always contributed to the life of their community and their children contribute daily to the quality of health care in this country. We would all be the poorer if they were not here. They are truly an American family.

Both parents are immigrants.