A young girl who was horrifically burned in an acid attack in India has been given a ray of hope

News24xx.com -  Four years ago, at three years old, Julie Kumari, now 7 old, was caught in the crossfire during the attack at her home. At that the young girl was horrifically burned in an acid attack.

At that time, her face was melt when her father named Manish, threw the substance at her mother in a fit of jealous rage when her mother remarried and leaving Julie with burns on her face, arm, neck and chest.  Before, Manish had attempted to pour the acid on his ex-wife and her new husband, Heera Lal, but Julie was sleeping next to her and it landed on her as well as Heera.

Until now, Julie’s mother, Rani Devi, 31, who worked but only earns IDR 36 thousand a day, was never able to earn enough money for surgery. 

After the incident, Heera suffered 60 per cent burns to his body and later died from an infection. While Julie suffered 40 per cent burns, and Rani had to sell her farm to pay for the hospital fees. 

But doctors discharged her and saying she’ll be scarred for life and there was nothing more they could do. Rani and Julie returned home with nothing.

Rani said, "It’s very devastating watching her suffer all these years. And it's very hurt to her to eat, talk and smile. And it killed me because I couldn’t help her.’ 

"I lost my husband, I didn’t want to lose my daughter too. I cried every night seeing my daughter in that condition. I desperately wanted her to get better. But my financial condition didn’t allow me to help my child."

But now, Julie has been given a ray of hope. After Alok Singh and his team, from Chhanv Foundation, a charity that helps acid attack survivors and founded the Stop Acid Attacks campaign, came to know of Julie’s situation and offered to help her get admitted to a hospital and free of cost. 

Her first surgery was done three months ago at Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences hospital (SGPGI), in Lucknow, where doctors operated on the skin contracted around her neck so she could finally move her head. 

She will also undergo plastic surgery on her face to correct the deformities. Rani is overjoyed her daughter is getting help. 

Chhanv Foundation is now raising funds to help improve the family’s living standards, so Julie has a hygienic environment post-surgery. Because, Julie's family were living in a one-room house with no electricity and she’d never had any treatment over all these years. It was tragic.

"But now, treatment has begun and things can only get better for her. She’s now preparing to undergo more surgeries over the coming months," Alok said.

 

 

 

 

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