PROMISE FULFILLED: A Memoir of Immigrant Success

by Raul Caceres M.D., I.J. Miller

Synopsis

Dr. Raul Caceres was born in Oruro, Bolivia, a small town in the Andes mountains, 12,000 feet above sea level. When he was eleven months old his father passed from a ruptured appendix. Had better treatment been available, his father would have lived. He was reared by his loving mother and his beloved grandfather. At age eight he contracted a severe stomach infection, but recovered after an injection by a doctor in a white coat. He was inspired to one day become a physician himself and cure those less fortunate.

At age eighteen, with only a high school education, speaking no English, he asked his mother to allow him to emigrate to the U.S. to become a doctor. She granted him permission to go...but only if he promised to return. He did.

And thus began his quest to fulfill a lifelong dream and a cherished promise that included a stint in the U.S. Army, medical school in Mexico, and an additional nine years of residencies to become a general surgeon, then a plastic surgeon with a subspecialty in burn care. While never losing sight of his deep faith, he eventually started a very successful private practice near Park Ave. in New York City. But he did not forget his promise. There was a proud return to Oruro, where he started the TIWANAKU PROJECT, a burn unit that has treated over 1,000 indigent adults and children at little to no cost since its opening in 2010.

PROMISE FULFILLED is a fast-paced, dramatic memoir that illuminates the life of a man from humble beginnings, his rags to riches immigration story, his complex medical journey, his spiritual odyssey that included fulfilling a never-forgotten promise to his mother, and a triumphant return home.

*Proceeds from this book will be donated to the Tiwanaku Project to continue to improve the burn care of indigent children and adults in Oruro, Bolivia.

PRAISE FOR PROMISE FULFILLED:

"Promise Fulfilled is a story of faith, hope, and charity. It is a story of character, scholarship, perseverance, and uplift. It is a vision of promises made and promises kept. It is a love story between a man and his mother, his wife, and his people."
Deacon Laurence Bonnemere, St. Anastasia Church, Teaneck, NJ

“This memoir should be read by anyone wishing to be uplifted by an immigrant story of success that reveals how one man overcame diversity and gave back to those in need.”
Dr. Joseph Molnar, MD. PhD. FACS, Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Wake Forest University School of Medicine

“Dr. Caceres’s leadership gives hope to the people of Bolivia who suffer severe burn injuries.”
Dr. Michael R. Johnson, MD, MPH, FACS, Chair, Department of Orthopedics and Plastic Surgery, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine

“A well-written, down-to-earth, spiritual story told by a dedicated doctor who, at the most critical, overwhelming times of his life, encountered the invisible helping hand of God.”
Thomas Dohm, PhD, Former Director of Measurement Services, U. of Minnesota

“I found Promise Fulfilled to be engaging, candid, and personal, revealing a strong history of determination and commitment that will impact those who are faced with many obstacles to achieve their goals in life.”
Father Emmett Gavin, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Tenafly, NJ

“Kudos to Dr. Caceres for sharing his life journey. Promise Fulfilled is a beautiful story for people from all walks of life."
Anthony Laciura, actor in HBO's Boardwalk Empire, Metropolitan Opera Company leading tenor

“As someone who enjoys reading about the medical profession and loves a good success story, this tale of hard work, perseverance and vision was a genuinely enjoyable read.”
S.M. Stevens, author of Horseshoes and Hand Grenades

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Release date: May 3, 2022

Publisher: Island Publishing

Print pages: 245