In rural Nepal, a remarkable young girl named Aastha has captured hearts with her unwavering spirit and remarkable resilience. From the early days of her life, Aastha faced a tragic accident that forever altered her path. As a baby, Aastha fell into an open cooking fire, resulting in severe burns on her face and arms. The extent of her facial scarring was so severe that her mother had to feed her with an eyedropper, leading to malnourishment and desperation within the family.
ReSurge International, a non-profit committed to providing life-changing reconstructive surgical interventions, stepped in to make a difference in Aastha’s life. Through the unwavering dedication of the local ReSurge team in Nepal and the support of generous donors, Aastha has undergone seven transformative surgeries, receiving ongoing physical therapy and comprehensive follow-up treatment.
Recently, we had the privilege of meeting Aastha as she prepared for a momentous hand surgery aimed at repairing her fingers, a procedure that would allow her to write and pursue her education. In the above video, we document Aastha’s incredible story, inviting you to join us on this poignant and inspiring expedition.
The stark reality is that a staggering number of people, approximately 5 billion worldwide, find themselves in situations similar to Aastha’s, lacking access to timely, safe, and affordable surgical care. Burns, often referred to as the “disease of poverty,” disproportionately impact the most vulnerable individuals in low-income countries. Within these regions, an alarming 80-90% of burn incidents occur within the home, where unsafe cooking environments and open flames place women and children at a significantly higher risk. At ReSurge, we understand these sobering facts all too well. In fact, just this year, approximately 52% of all the surgeries we performed were burn-related, with an overwhelming 93% of those patients being children.
In honor of Aastha’s remarkable story, generous anonymous donors have pledged to double all gifts this month, up to a total of $50,000. This means that every dollar you contribute to transforming the lives of children like Aastha will be matched, effectively doubling the impact of your generosity.
To contribute to this campaign and have your gift matched, please visit our donation page. Every gift counts and brings us one step closer to our goal of raising $100,000 to treat 285 patients. Your support, no matter the size of your gift, will have a tremendous impact on the lives of those we serve.
