ReSurge Stories

Filter By:

Two men stand side by side indoors, smiling at the camera. One wears a white lab coat and navy scrubs, highlighting his role in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, while the other wears a blue shirt and carries a black backpack. A poster with text is behind them.

Pioneering Access to Reconstructive Surgery: Dr. Edris Kalanzi

UGANDA

ReSurge Surgical Partner, Dr. Edris Kalanzi, is the first plastic and reconstructive surgeon in all of...

Two open pages of the 2025 Annual Report: the first shows surgeons operating with “Who We Are”; the second features a smiling patient with bandaged hands and charts showing Annual Report Highlights and global impact statistics, Closing the Gap in care.

Closing the Gap: 2025 Annual Report Highlights

UNITED STATES

Every year, ReSurge International works toward one bold vision: a world where safe, timely, and affordable...

A woman with curly hair, wearing a white lab coat and a red headband, smiles while standing in front of large windows. She has dark skin, is resting her arm on a railing, and proudly represents the Matolase Mtonga Scholarship.

Congratulations to the Newest Matolase Mtonga Scholarship Winners!

UGANDA

The Matolase Mtonga Scholarship for Women in Reconstructive Surgery is an annual scholarship established...

A woman and two children smile and play outside on a sunny day, standing on green grass with huts and a clear blue sky in the background—capturing a joyful moment from Gloria's story of learning to walk again through rehabilitation.

Learning to Walk Again: Gloria’s Story

UGANDA

Along the shores of Lake Albert in Uganda, in a small fishing village far from major roads and hospitals,...

Donations from people like you make these life-changing stories possible. Without your generosity, thousands of individuals with surgically treatable conditions will go without much-needed care. Learn how you can help write positive stories for people worldwide by visiting our donations page today.

Dr. Pramila Shakya is Maxillofacial Surgeon and Pioneering Woman Surgeon

NEPAL

Dr. Pramila Shakya, a skilled maxillofacial surgeon at Kirtipur Hospital in Nepal, is a testament to...

Side-by-side photos of baby Salina: the left shows her cleft lip before surgery, and the right shows her peacefully asleep after cleft lip surgery, with a healing scar on her upper lip.

Baby Salina just got a cleft lip surgery after traveling two days with her mom and aunt.

NEPAL

Born in a remote village where the nearest medical facility is days away, baby Salina arrived at Kirtipur...

A young woman wearing a black hijab smiles and holds up a medal with a striped ribbon, celebrating her soccer achievement. The background is blue with framed pictures on the wall, including one of Ronaldo.

Muskan is a 2021 International Woman of Courage Award Winner, ReSurge patient, and acid attack survivor.

NEPAL

At the age of 15, Muskan Khatun was brutally attacked by a group of boys from her school who threw a...

A confident boy with facial scarring, wearing a colorful headscarf, smiles gently while holding a white and gray cat close to his face. Blue patterned curtains hang in the background, hinting at his love for soccer and Ronaldo.

“They thought I wouldn't rise from the ashes. But then, I became a queen.”

INDIA

“They thought I was possessed, that spirits had taken hold of me,” said Rajkumari, a 17-year-old...

A young girl smiles and waves with her mouth open, while a woman behind her, likely her mother, also smiles. Both are outdoors with greenery in the blurred background, enjoying a day out after cheering for Ronaldo at a soccer match.

Dilasha is passionate about drawing, singing, and playing with the kittens on her family’s mountain farm.

NEPAL

Eight-year-old Dilasha lives in the remote mountains of Nepal. Her family farms rice, corn and gourds...

A woman with long hair stands outdoors, smiling confidently like a soccer star and looking to the side with one hand on her hip and the other on a red Honda scooter. She wears a white shirt with black floral patterns. A helmet rests on the scooter seat.

"You don't deserve to be pretty." Those cruel words marked a turning point for Jenny Khadka, fueling her resolve to defy her attacker and advocate for others.

NEPAL

Now 25, Jenny is an acid attack survivor and a burn patient counselor at ReSurge International’s...

A confident boy with visible facial scars smiles while standing outdoors in front of a yellow building. Wearing a light-colored shirt and a small microphone, he looks ready for an interview—perhaps to talk about his passion for soccer or idol Ronaldo. Greenery is visible behind him.

Aayush is a confident boy who loves soccer and dreams to see Ronaldo play one day.

NEPAL

Eleven-year-old Aayush is known for his bright smile, boundless energy, and love for soccer. Like many...

ReSurge Awarded USAID Grants for Essential Equipment in Nepal and Vietnam

VIETNAM

ReSurge International was awarded $4,000,000 in grant funds from the United States Agency for International...

A diverse group of women in colorful, traditional, and formal attire stand together smiling in front of vibrant, patterned fabric backdrops at the 2024 ReSurge International Transformations Gala: Closing The Gap.

2024 Transformations Gala: Closing The Gap

UNITED STATES

ReSurge’s 2024 gala occurred at the Four Seasons Hotel in San Francisco. Women surgeons in the 2024 cohort...

Mourning the Loss of Ugandan Olympian and Burn Attack Victim Rebecca Cheptegei

UGANDA

It is with deep sadness that ReSurge International mourns the tragic passing of celebrated Ugandan...

A woman and a man smile at the camera, standing side by side in front of a colorful fabric backdrop decorated with leaves and red, orange, and yellow fruit shapes, celebrating Cleft Awareness.

Cleft Myths and Misconceptions: Shared through the experiences of ReSurge Patient, Yashika Goel

INDIA

ReSurge International is closing the gap to reconstructive surgical care by providing access to holistic...

A woman wearing a white coat stands on a lawn with colorful flower beds and large numbers "125" in the background at Stanford University, celebrating her achievement as a Laub Fellow. People stroll by historic campus buildings behind her.

Meet 2024 ReSurge Laub Fellow: Dr. Olivia Meewon Park

UNITED STATES

The Donald R. Laub Fellowship program, named after our late founder Donald Laub, allows a fourth-year...

Two women smile and embrace in front of a plain wall. One wears a light blue hijab and pale green top, while the other, an acid attack survivor with visible facial scarring, has long dark hair and a black polka-dot dress.

Natalia and Muskan: Two Acid Attack Survivors Meet for the First Time

NEPAL

ReSurge is honored to have arranged the inspiring first-time meeting of two incredible women acid attack...

A smiling woman, identified as Beverly Kent, stands outdoors holding a glass heart-shaped award. She is wearing a patterned blouse, with trees and parked cars in the background. Sunlight highlights her hair and the trophy.

Honor the Legacy of Beverly Kent

UNITED STATES

A Letter From ReSurge President & CEO Greetings from ReSurge, It is with great appreciation...

A woman with long, wavy blonde hair sits and smiles during a ReSurge interview. She is wearing a dark blazer over a light blouse, with bookshelves containing medical books in the background. The YouTube video title is shown at the top.

Reflections from 2023 ReSurge Laub Fellow: Halley Darrach

TANZANIA

“My time at ReSurge has further underscored the far-reaching benefits of reconstructive surgery on the...

A group of nine medical professionals, wearing scrubs and surgical caps, pose together in a hallway during surgical training. Three are seated on colorful chairs in front, while six stand behind them, all smiling at the camera.

Scaling Sustainable Surgical Training in Ethiopia

ETHIOPIA

A groundbreaking ReSurge and Stanford University study found that one surgeon in a low-income country...

Two women sit closely together, smiling in patterned shirts. One woman has her eyes closed, while the other looks at the camera. It's a bright, tiled room—capturing a warm Mother's Day moment between them.

Memorable Moments from Mother's Day

VIETNAM

This past Mother’s Day weekend, we reflected on the mothers we see every day in our community. Mothers...

A young girl in a bright red dress leans back and smiles, enjoying a moment of clear vision while being held by a woman who looks up at her affectionately near a green metal railing and lush greenery.

A Clear Vision Ahead

VIETNAM

Meet Hue, a Young Woman From Tra Thuy Co For Hue, a young woman from a neighboring community, Tra Thuy...

A woman with short brown hair and glasses smiles while standing in front of lush green plants. She wears a light-colored, long-sleeved top with colorful embroidery near the collar, embodying the warmth of a dedicated medical volunteer nurse.

Medical Volunteer Nurse Spotlight: Susan Smith

MALAWI

For National Nurses Week, we interviewed Susan Smith, a ReSurge Medical Volunteer and nurse educator....

A young girl with dark hair draws colorful shapes on paper with a crayon, her crafted with care bracelet gleaming as she concentrates. She sits at a table in a warmly lit room, tan tiles forming the background to her creativity.

Crafted with Care 🪡 The Art of Restoring Hands

BOLIVIA

“Hands are an important part of the human body. Without our hands, we can hardly do anything. Because...

1 2 3 4 … 11