Partners for Patients NGO (PFP.NGO) was established in 1990 by Mimi Choon-Quinones in memory of her father, Tony L. Choon.

From a young age, Tony Choon understood human suffering. As a Mongolian refugee in China, he struggled with the scarcity of basic resources. 

Tony was born in 1937 in rural Mongolia. At the age of 5, his parents divorced. His mother escaped her husband’s extreme physical and emotional abuse. In 1943, Tony, his mother and his sister fled by foot to Taiwan, where they applied for and were granted political asylum. The family of three became displaced refugees. In 1950, Tony’s mother began studying Law as a single mother and went on to become Taiwan’s first female congress-lady. In 1966, Tony immigrated to New York City (NYC) with his mother.

Years later, Tony’s mother died of lung cancer due to the inaccessibility of treatments and medicines.

In 1970, Tony joined the International Lions Club, a nonprofit organization founded in 1917.  Tony began to offer free eye care and medical care in support of marginalized and underserved communities and residents in the Tri-State area. Tony expanded the Lions Club’s outreach by founding the Lions Club Glaucoma Day, in partnership with NYC hospitals, which served thousands of patients each year . From then on, Tony inspired his two daughters Mimi and Lulu to join the fight against blindness and fight the injustices of unmet medical needs with humanitarian compassion.

After the passing of Tony in 1990, Mimi became empowered to carry on her father’s philanthropic legacy by starting Partners for Patients NGO.