Dr. Nonna
Life is full of inspiration
She learned she had been accepted to medical school and that she had lymphatic cancer. The young girl was told she was going to die. The doctors, intent on saving her life, performed a grueling series of painful surgeries, combined with chemotherapy and hormonal therapy. Her hair fell off and her body swelled and became covered with rashes. But she did not lose hope. After the treatments failed, the doctors told her parents something that she will carry with her forever: “The girl’s days are numbered”. Despite this devastating prognosis, her parents refused to despair, and insisted that the hospital perform one last surgery. It lasted for five and a half hours, and when it was over, the doctors told her parents that a main artery had been damaged during the operation. They expected her life to end within minutes. Her parents rushed to her bedside to say their goodbyes, but then minutes turned into hours and Nona was still alive. Inspired by Nona’s remarkable strength, the doctors decided to perform yet another surgery, which ultimately saved her life.
Contrary to popular belief, there is life in the Dead Sea. She researched the subject and quickly focused on the Archaebacteria that dwelled in the Dead Sea’s highly salty waters. Against the advice of her colleagues, she left her lucrative position at the university and, together with her husband Michael, set up a team of researchers and scientists. Their goal was to create a brand of products that reflected their ideals. The love and perfect coordination the couple still enjoys to this day served as the foundation upon which the company was built. Michael took charge of developing the complex business infrastructure required, allowing Dr. Nona to implement the company’s vision of dreaming big and acting big in order to turn dreams into reality. The brand the couple envisioned was inspired by their profound confidence in the wisdom and abundance of nature. Within several years it became an extraordinary success story.
Dr. Nona continues to lead the international operations of the Dr. Nona brand, and also serves as a member of the Russian Academy of Nature Sciences and the Academy of Technological and Social Studies in New York. She has written more than 60 science articles in addition to nine novels, and was awarded the 2000 Israeli Woman of the Year award in recognition of her medical contributions.