Hanson Yip was an energetic young man with a heart for helping others. But while studying for a university degree in social work, the 26-year-old Yip started feeling twinges of pain in his upper abdomen.
Mr Chan was an active 30-year-old fireman who had to meet the gruelling physical demands of his job. But in 1997 a deepening pain in his left hip eventually left him unable to walk for more than five minutes without resting.
Cody Lehe had a great life and a bright future. A tall, handsome, strapping young man, the 17-year-old was a high school senior and captain of the football team. Tragically, Lehe's life was to take a sharp turn that not only derailed his potential, but also was very nearly fatal.
Madam Chong, 50, knows that familiar feeling. It starts with a twinge in her knee. Then, over time, the pain builds to a crippling crescendo that on some days will cause her to fall in mid-step, and on others will send her to the emergency room begging for relief.
