I’m a plastic surgeon at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

Women for Women Reconstructive Surgery is a small organization, but I believe it is unlike any other humanitarian effort in world.

As women, we are vulnerable to violence. This is true all over the world, but in certain regions, the risk is higher. I’ve recently returned from to 2 surgical missions in India where I’ve cared for women who have endured the most horrific of injuries. While it seems almost inconceivable to us, most were deliberately burned by their in-laws so that a new wife and dowry could be obtained.

I’d like to tell you about just one of the women we cared for this year. A young woman, 19 years old was recently married when her husband pour kerosene on her. She survived but because of burn scar contractures, she was left unable to lift her head from her chest, to close her mouth or her eyes, or to use her hands to eat or to clean herself. This beautiful intelligent girl showed me her wedding pictures. It was heartbreaking. Her life was effectively destroyed in a brief moment of fire. This February, in a 3 hours operation, our Women for Women surgical team was able to re-establish hand and facial function and restore a more normal appearance. She is now able to care for herself and works in a school.

The thing that makes Women for Women unique is that we are all female plastic surgeons who work as volunteers. We take our vacation time and leave our own families to work with local surgeons and provide the best possible care we can to these injured women. This means that with every $200 donation, we can offer reconstructive surgery to a woman in need. And with this surgery, she gets a chance at life again.

Every gift, every donation you make is thus incredibly powerful.

Andrea Pusic
E-mail: PusicA@mskcc.org
WomenForWomen Member