Wang Yi’ou, our heroine, is a member of a group of people who are referred to by a lovely name, the china dolls. But there is nothing lovely about the condition they are in. They suffer from a rare disorder called Osteogenesis Imperfect (OI), or brittle bone disease, which means their bones break as easily as china. Wang Yi’ou, founder and director of China’s very first and only center for the OI patients, the China-Dolls Center for Rare Disorders, cherishes a big dream, which is to help bring attention to this vulnerable group of people and create for them a social environment that treats them as equals with respect.
A strong china doll
It is not difficult to find information on Wang Yi’ou on the Chinese Internet. Sporting a doll face and big doe eyes, Wang looks like the kind of girl you would fall in love instantly,an impression that proved right when I finally met her at a social gathering for female entrepreneurs in Beijing.
Standing at a mere 1.3 meters, Wang could easily get lost in a crowd. And no matter how much you’ve heard about the disorder beforehand, it does not really prepare you for the shock when you meet a person who suffers from the condition because you see how much it affects their looks. Yet after a few minutes with Wang and listening to her talk, you would find yourself completely won over by her.
Wang flew in from Kunming to attend the event of which she is the main speaker. A five-hour delay at the airport tired her, but did not dampen her spirit at all. In her sweet voice which tinkles like bells, she recounted her stories of how she started China Dolls Center for Rare Disorders to a roomful of eager ears.
Like many people with successful stories, Wang is low-key. Her words are simple but are nonetheless touching because of the sincerity. She started off by explaining what is the disorder and how rare it is. She said she was lucky because her condition was mild. “So don’t worry, you can give me hugs and I won’t break!” It takes both strength and intelligence to make jokes like this. Instantly people were drawn to her. Both respect and affection grows.
Wang first started a bbs website called “Glass City” when she was still a law student at Beijing Jiaotong University. She had simple purpose on her mind........
Read the full story at sino-us.com
A strong china doll
It is not difficult to find information on Wang Yi’ou on the Chinese Internet. Sporting a doll face and big doe eyes, Wang looks like the kind of girl you would fall in love instantly,an impression that proved right when I finally met her at a social gathering for female entrepreneurs in Beijing.
Standing at a mere 1.3 meters, Wang could easily get lost in a crowd. And no matter how much you’ve heard about the disorder beforehand, it does not really prepare you for the shock when you meet a person who suffers from the condition because you see how much it affects their looks. Yet after a few minutes with Wang and listening to her talk, you would find yourself completely won over by her.
Wang flew in from Kunming to attend the event of which she is the main speaker. A five-hour delay at the airport tired her, but did not dampen her spirit at all. In her sweet voice which tinkles like bells, she recounted her stories of how she started China Dolls Center for Rare Disorders to a roomful of eager ears.
Like many people with successful stories, Wang is low-key. Her words are simple but are nonetheless touching because of the sincerity. She started off by explaining what is the disorder and how rare it is. She said she was lucky because her condition was mild. “So don’t worry, you can give me hugs and I won’t break!” It takes both strength and intelligence to make jokes like this. Instantly people were drawn to her. Both respect and affection grows.
Wang first started a bbs website called “Glass City” when she was still a law student at Beijing Jiaotong University. She had simple purpose on her mind........
Read the full story at sino-us.com