NU SKIN Force for Good Foundation Taiwan Chapter NU SKIN sponsors Taiwan’s first TPVI case to help a patient with congenital heart disease

January 15, 2016

Nu Skin Force for Good Foundation Taiwan Chapter (“NU SKIN Force for Good Foundation”) sponsored Taiwan’s first Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve Implantation (TPVI) performed in a patient with complex congenital heart disease. The post-operative recovery of the patient, Xiao-yu (pseudonym) who received the operation, has been very satisfactory which different from the traditional operation that requires a long post-operative recovery period. This can be discharged from hospital 5 days after the operation, significantly reducing patients’ hospitalization time. Xiao-yu’s case is not only the first case in Taiwan, but also the first successful case of TPVI in the whole area of Taiwan.

Together with NU SKIN Force for Good Foundation, that cares about the children with heart disease over a long period of time, Dr. Mei-Hwan Wu, President of NTU Children’s Hospital, led the medical team to celebrate Xiao-yu’s birthday. “In Taiwan, averagely among every 1000 newborn babies, 8-10 babies suffer from congenital heart disease. There are around 3000-4000 newborns suffering from congenital heart disease every year. The long-term treatment process puts a very heavy burden on the patients, as well as their families. The NTU Children’s Hospital took the lead to introduce TPVI technology, which significantly increase the success rate. To encourage even more progress, NU SKIN Force for Good Foundation subsidized the high medical expenses and expect the society care about the cases of congential heart disease. NU SKIN also promises to continue to help more children receive the treatment in the future,” said Ms. Claire Tu, CEO of NU SKIN Force for Good Foundation.

Xiao-yu was diagnosed with congenital heart disease when she was born and has been long-term associated with hospitalization and medicines. With the Congenitally Corrected Transposition of the Great Arteries (CCTGA), she has received 3 major operations since she was 5 years old and been admitted in and discharged out of hospitals frequently due to the complication of her condition. Because of the congenital heart disease, Xiao-yu has come across many bottlenecks and frustrations both in studying and job hunting. She has never attended physical education classes at school. She was forced to resign from her children education job on the grounds of being unable to participate in the school’s tug-of-war activities. Xiao-yu feels very lucky to become Taiwan’s first successful case in TPVI. “There must be some kind of reason in God’s mind to allow me to live to this age,” said Xiao-yu optimistically. Since currently the cost of TPVI has not been covered by the National Health Insurance yet, Xiao-yu is very grateful to NU SKIN’s subsidies and loves and let the patients feel warm. She hopes this love will continue to spread so as to help even more patients face their lives in the future.

Upholding the spirit of Force for Good, NU SKIN established NU SKIN Greater China Children’s Heart Fund (GCCHF) with business partners in Greater China in 2008. Over the past 8 years, NU SKIN Taiwan has donated over NTD$ 54 million which helped more than 730 children with congenital heart disease to receive treatment. In the meantime, in order to be able to have early diagnosis and treatment, the “Campus Screening Campaign around Taiwan” was initiated to conduct free heart disease screening for more than 63,950 disadvantaged school children in 228 secondary and primary schools in in Hsinchu County, Hualien County and Penghu County etc 35 remote villages and towns and 905 school children have received hospital transfer for further treatment. Looking into 2016, NU SKIN Force for Good Foundation will continue to provide subsidies for heart disease screening and treatment and will make an exercise prescription for children with congenital heart disease to even let them to have the opportunity to get into the habit of exercising regularly like normal people in order to fulfill their dreams of doing exercise.

(Left to right) Dr. Mei-Huan Wu, President of NTU Children’s Hospital, Dr. Ming-Tai Lin, of NTU Children’s Hospital, Prof. Jou-Kou Wang of NTU Children’s Hospital, Xiao-yu (pseudonym), Ms. Yu-Juan Hua, CEO of Cardiac Children’s Foundation Taiwan, and Ms. Claire Tu, CEO of NU SKIN Force for Good Foundation	Ms. Claire Tu, CEO of NU SKIN Force for Good Foundation, receives Certificate of Appreciation from Prof. Jou-Kou Wang of NTU Children’s Hospital.
“Create Smiles with Heart” Rebirth Ceremony symbolizes the rebirth of Xiao-yu of Taiwan’s first successful TPVI operation.

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