[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 46 (Monday, March 24, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E417-E418]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   RECOGNIZING DR. KANT TUCKER AND DR. IRMA HARRIMAN'S 25TH WEDDING 
                              ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JULIA BROWNLEY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 24, 2014

  Ms. BROWNLEY of California. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize 
Dr. Kant Tucker and Dr. Irma Harriman on the special occasion of their 
25th wedding anniversary.
   Dr. Tucker, who was born in Mumbai, moved to the United States in 
1975 with just eight dollars in his pocket, a plane ticket that was 
purchased by his siblings and a bag of clothes. Unaware of the trials 
and tribulations that lay ahead, Dr. Tucker was determined to make a 
living and stay true to his humble beginnings.
   During his first months in the United States, Dr. Tucker struggled 
to earn a living. He was hired as a dishwasher at a fast food chain for 
only a short time before he was let go. The owners believed that he was 
a short term employee because he was a medical school graduate.
   He continued his search for a career as a doctor, hoping that he 
would find a hospital that would accept him as an intern. On one 
occasion, Dr. Tucker was on his way to St. Barnabas Hospital in the 
Bronx to interview for an internship when he was mugged at gunpoint 
causing him to miss his appointment. Although discouraged and 
disappointed, Dr. Tucker went back to the hospital for a second 
interview, where he was later offered an internship. From there, Dr. 
Tucker went on to complete a residency in Jersey City and then to 
research positions at hospitals in New York and California.
   During the course of Dr. Tucker's career, he was also able to find 
love. In the early 1980s, Dr. Tucker was an assistant professor of 
nephrology at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) where he met 
Irma Harriman. Seven years after Irma Harriman became his partner in 
his Simi Valley practice, they married.
   In Dr. Tucker, Dr. Harriman saw the same determination and idealism 
that she saw in herself and related to the same barriers that she, too, 
had faced. The pair symbolized hard work and determination. Despite the 
adversity that both Dr. Tucker and Dr. Harriman faced, they remained 
persistent in their pursuit of success, always remaining true to their 
upbringing.
   Today, Dr. Tucker and Dr. Harriman operate nine dialysis centers 
throughout Southern California. Currently living across the Santa 
Susana Pass, Dr. Tucker and Dr. Harriman never forget the experiences, 
people, and opportunities that shaped their lives.
   I want to sincerely thank Dr. Tucker and Dr. Harriman for their 
generosity and commitment to our community and wish them all the best 
upon the celebration of their 25th wedding anniversary. I applaud the 
love and support they have both provided each other over the years, and 
I know that there are many more memories to be made.

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