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JONAH BAKES - A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD WITH A BRILLIANT BAKING BUSINESS ✦ Happy cookies made with love make the world a better place
J
onah Michio Tan is seven and already starting an incredible career as a baker!
March is Small Business Month and we wholeheartedly vote Jonah Bakes as our top Brilliant Small Business. How did Malaysia's happy sevenyear-old baker find his passion and tenacity, and what can small business owners learn from his story?
Jonah's Story Jonah has a rare form of skeletal dysplasia. This is a genetic disorder affecting the bones and joints. It hinders growth and development and causes abnormally-shaped bones. This usually occurs in the head, spine, arms and legs. He also has Hajdu-Cheney syndrome (HCS) which is another rare genetic connective tissue disease. Around the world, there are only 50 known cases of people who have this disease. It is characterised by acroosteolysis of the hands and feet, developmental defects of the bones, teeth and joints. Jonah cannot run around and play like other children. The bones are brittle and any fall means a risk of fracture. And that means being in a cast for several weeks. Over and over again. In spite of all the adversity that these diseases involve, Jonah has a steady, fresh and bright personality and he channels his focus and attention on his one true passion - baking. Jonah wants to have his own bakery in the future, and his family and friends are right behind him supporting his dream.
