Rare Implant

I blogged about 20-yr-old Yvonne Foong on 20 Aug 2006 about her rare form of neurofibromatosis illness. The Star has reported that Yvonne has raised her own funds (up to RM230,000) to treat her genetically incurable disease and became the first Malaysian to have an auditory brainstem implant (ABI). The surgery was led by Dr. Rick A. Friedman, a medical specialist in this field.

Her 4 Nov surgery in Los Angeles was the fourth major one she had undergone since she was diagnosed with NF2 at the age of 13. However, instead of giving up on life or asking for handouts, she has worked hard to raise money for her operation by selling T-shirts, organising rock concerts, giving motivational talks and writing a book about living with NF titled I Am Not Sick, Just A Bit Unwell.

True grit won her the Asian Youth Ambassadors’ Most Outstanding Youth of the Year award in 2005.

Meanwhile, her townsfolk in Subang Jaya have started a fund-raising campaign for Yvonne and will hold their third charity golf tournament in her aid. They have collected RM16,000 so far which would help meet Yvonne’s surgery expenses and also follow-up treatment in Los Angeles.
As I always said and will say again & again; A Person With A Dream Can Never Be Denied!
Tags: Health, Yvonne Foong, Neurofibromatosis, Auditory Brainstem Implant, Asian Youth Ambassador, Rick Friedman, Dream