Woman Who Lost Arm and Leg in Accident... The Secret Behind Earning 60 Million Won a Month

Running a Shoe Cleaning Factory Prioritizing Employment for People with Disabilities
Monthly Sales Reach 60 Million Won

A Chinese influencer who lost her left arm and leg in a traffic accident has drawn attention by launching a shoe cleaning business that provides jobs for people with disabilities.

On January 11, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that Chinese influencer Wong Xin Yi (30) is running a shoe cleaning factory focused on employing people with disabilities.

Wong Xin Yi (30), a Chinese influencer who lost her left arm and leg in a traffic accident. SCMP

According to the outlet, Wong suffered severe injuries in 2020 in an accident involving a Porsche sports car driven by a friend, which resulted in the amputation of her left arm and leg. She experienced three cardiac arrests and underwent 14 surgeries to survive.

After the accident, Wong's boyfriend left her, and the friend who survived the accident stopped supporting her medical expenses. It took Wong a year to fully accept her condition, and she marked her rebirth by giving herself a new name, "Youyou."

The outlet reported that Wong began living even more passionately to prove that she was no different after becoming disabled. In 2022, she launched a yoga wear business and promoted the products herself as a model.

Wong Xin Yi (30), a Chinese influencer who lost her left arm and leg in a traffic accident. Photo by SCMP

Last year, she opened a shoe cleaning factory in Guangdong Province, near her hometown in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The factory currently has 10 employees, half of whom are people with disabilities. Wong assigned work based on each employee's condition: a staff member with a hearing impairment operates the noisy cleaning machines, while a man with a history of polio handles delicate handwork.

Wong emphasized, "Disability does not define a person's limits, but rather their uniqueness," adding, "People with disabilities have their own strengths. What they need is opportunity."

The factory currently cleans 700 to 800 pairs of shoes per day, with monthly sales reaching about 300,000 yuan (approximately 63 million won). Wong's social media account has nearly 500,000 followers.

Wong is using her influence to promote other businesses run by people with disabilities and is also involved in fundraising. She helped raise 800,000 yuan for the medical treatment of a 12-year-old girl with leukemia and has promoted guesthouses operated by a woman with paraplegia and a burn survivor, helping to create job opportunities for them.