Eleven-year-old Aayush is known for his bright smile, boundless energy, and love for soccer. Like many kids his age, he dreams of one day seeing his hero, Cristiano Ronaldo, play in person. But Aayush’s journey to dream hasn’t been easy—for him or his mother.
When Aayush was just an infant, his mother Sarita’s worst nightmare came true. In a moment that would forever alter their lives, he crawled toward an open flame and toppled a scalding pot. The burns left deep scars on his face, mouth, and hands. Eating became a struggle, and he rapidly lost weight.
“It was the darkest time in my life,” Sarita recalls. “I cried every single day.”
Not long after the accident, Aayush’s father passed away, leaving Sarita to raise her son alone and become the family’s sole provider.
“I could have easily lost hope,” she says. “But I couldn’t. I wanted my son to grow into the dreams I held for him—until he could dream for himself.”
Determined to survive, Sarita started a small soup business at the local market. One day, while working her stall, she met Hemanta Joshi, a ReSurge outreach coordinator. Hemanta connected the family to a ReSurge clinic—and everything began to shift.
“We had nothing. But we had each other,” Sarita says. “Hemanta and ReSurge gave us hope. That’s when things started to change.”
“When I first met Ayush and Sarita, they had traveled so far just to be seen,” Hemanta recalls. “Sarita never stopped advocating for her son. And Ayush—he had this spark. Even through the pain, he was smiling.”
Through a series of free reconstructive surgeries, Aayush regained the use of his hands and the ability to open his mouth with ease. Each procedure brought more than healing—it brought transformation.
“There were so many hospital visits, so much pain, but Aayush never gave up,” Sarita says. “He’s stronger than I ever imagined. Before the surgeries, he was quiet and always hiding his face. Now he looks people in the eye. He’s proud of who he is.”
Burn injuries like Aayush’s are tragically common in low-income countries, where open-flame cooking puts millions of children at daily risk. Without surgical infrastructure, most children will never receive the care that would be standard in a high-income country.
Every two seconds, someone dies from a surgically treatable disease.
ReSurge is working to close that gap—by training local surgeons, expanding access to care, and delivering free, life-changing surgeries to those who need it most.
Today, Aayush is thriving, living his life in full bloom. His scars tell the story of what he’s overcome—not just what he’s lost, but how far he’s come.
“Aayush is so full of life now,” Sarita says. “He’s confident. He talks to everyone—he even teaches the younger kids how to play soccer. He’s always telling jokes and making us laugh. I think that’s his way of showing us he’s okay—that he’s happy again.””
When asked about his future, Aayush doesn’t hesitate:
“I want to be like Ronaldo. I want to run and play and help people as a doctor.”
Sarita taught Aayush to have confidence and hope – ReSurge reconstructed Aayush’s body – and your donations make it possible.
Help ReSurge restore dreams and close the gap to reconstructive surgery once and for all.
