In August of 2009, Yannie Ye, a then junior desk clerk for O'BON International began to notice an usual pattern of problems seemingly related to her health. She was constantly tired despite well-rested nights and she had begun to suffer from headaches at an alarming frequency. Convinced this was not a problem to be taking lightly, she consulted with her doctors. After a series of physical examinations, it was determined that Yannie, now 24, was suffering from two tumors lodged in the back of her brain. In the following month, she was diagnosed with hereditary von Hippel-Lindau disease, a disorder characterized by the abnormal growth of tumors in various parts of the body. Left untreated, VHL causes brain damage and ultimately death.

 

Fortunately, the discovery of the disease occurred early, and the surgical procedure to remove the tumors appeared to be covered by China's medical insurance system. Unfortunately, that was not to be the case. Yannie's insurance policy was exploited by a simple loophole which stated that diseases considered "familial transmissible" or passed on through family members, was not covered. Born in a rural village in Guanxi, China, Yannie was always regarded by her peers as wealthy in character, work ethic and enthusiasm. Quite the opposite, however, in terms of money. Her aged parents had invested all they had in the upbringing of their children and she was living off each paycheck working her way up from the very bottom rung.

When Ivan Hoo, part-owner of O'BON and Yannie's employer learned of her condition, he traveled with her to the Sunway Medical Center in Malaysia to consult with specialist Dr.Lee Foo Chiang. His reasoning was simple. Despite the added cost of working with a specialist, maximizing the odds of a successful procedure was imperative in his eyes. However, her biggest concern was the cost of the operation, estimated to be approximately $9,000 -$10,000 USD in this region of the world. With no realistic means to afford it, it simply was not an option and she strongly considered moving on without any treatment whatsoever. However, what she did not know was Ivan had already made the decision to have O'BON pay for her operation.

 

As a company with both a strong background of supporting important causes as well as the means to cover the expenses, he committed to funding her back to health. Many people will never realize it, but their purchase of O'BON products coupled with Ivan's good heart helped save Yannie's life. Yannie's tumor operation is scheduled to take place in Malaysia this week. We all wish her the best and a speedy road to recovery and hope for nothing but the best.