From Cuba with a Vision: Losing My Homeland and Gaining the American Dream, a Story of Passionate Choices

In 1960 a Cuban ophthalmologist named Felix Sabates was completing his medical training in Boston and looking forward to a bright future in Havana when he received a telephone call that destroyed his dreams. "You can't come home," his father said. Fidel Castro had seized power in Cuba the year before and was now clearly imposing a communist dictatorship. Young Dr. Sabates found himself stranded in a foreign country, an accidental immigrant with no money, broken English and a young family to support. Cuba's loss was America's gain. Here, in his own words, Sabates recounts the story of his early days growing up in a close-knit family in the tropical homeland that was stolen from him and his courageous and passionate pursuit of a new life in the United States. His remarkable journey began with gaining citizenship through an Act of Congress just days before the failed Bay of Pigs invasion. Sabates quickly rose to the top of his field, gaining a reputation as one of the top eye surgeons in the word. Perplexed at first by the unwritten cultural rules of his adopted home, he set out to "infiltrate" Kansas City society and put the tools of capitalism to work advancing his vision of providing top-quality eye care for all, even the city's most indigent citizens. With humor, insight and passion, Dr. Sabates provides an intimate and engaging behind-the-scenes look at a stunning Kansas City success story and a shining embodiment of the American Dream.