Imagining The Improbable: Extraordinary Immigration Solutions For The Hapless And Hopeless

Article by Angelo Paparelli and Janet J. Greathouse

Immigration lore includes a host of stories, some of which may be factual. There once was a loving wife who was called to the emergency room of an urban hospital. Her husband had collapsed and needed a new heart. The cardiac specialist who greeted her seemed unusually chipper. He let her know that the patient was stable and that, fortunately, two hearts of recently deceased men were available. She was given the choice: a young triathlete who neither smoked nor imbibed, or an overweight, three-pack-a-day couch potato who worked as an immigration officer. She chose the heart of the immigration officer. Incredulous and suspecting evil motives, the doctor asked her to explain her choice. The wife responded: "Because his heart's never been used!"