A 7-year-old girl in India who had her face melted in an acid attack by her own father is finally getting her first surgery. Julie Kumari of Fatehpur, Utter Pradesh, India, was only 4 when her father, Manish, attacked her with acid. The acid was supposedly aimed at Julie’s mother, but it struck her and her sister, Lal, instead. Lal eventually died from infections.
Half of the child’s face was melted in the horrific attack, and she had also sustained burns in her neck, chest, and arms. But she hadn’t been able to afford the surgery due to her mother’s poor economic condition. Julie’s mother, Mum Rani, makes around $2.5 a day. But thanks to a charity that helps the survivors of acid attacks, this brave 7-year-old is getting her first correctional surgery after almost four years. Mum Rani seemed ecstatic about her daughter’s surgery.
“I’m so happy that good people exist on this earth. The fact one person came forward and helped my child with her treatment is just amazing. I can never thank them enough.”
Alok Singh and his team at Chhanv Foundation offered Julie the free surgery , the Sun reports. Alok shared the story about how he met Julie and her family:
“When we were creating a database of acid attack cases in each district in India we come to know about Julie. We decided to visit her but when we first saw her we were shocked to see how bad a condition she was in. They 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.”
Schoolgirl ‘melted’ by her own dad in chilling acid attack’ https://t.co/Ah5x8ERQFT
— The Sun (@TheSun) July 1, 2017
Julie’s surgery will consist of multiple stages, and the 7-year-old had her first surgery almost three months ago. In that first stage of the surgery, the doctors worked on the skin that had contracted around her neck to actually try and move the child’s head. A followup surgery will take place next month, where the doctors will operate on young Julie’s left eye. She is also set to have a plastic surgery in order to correct the deformities she has sustained due to the cruel attack.
Child, seven, who suffered horrific injuries in acid attack intended for her mother undergoes first surgery in India https://t.co/32B0ZR8L3Q
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The incident took place in May 2013, more than four years ago, when Julie’s father, Manish, tried to attack her mother Mum Rani with acid. The 40-year-old was furious that Rani had left him for another man. Manish later confessed that he had planned on pouring the acid on Rani and her new husband while they were sleeping, but instead ended up pouring the deadly chemical on his own daughters. His other daughter, Lal, eventually died of infections, while Julie suffered almost 40 percent burns. Mum Rani reportedly sold her family farm just to pay the hospital bills.
Rani says that it has been devastating to witness what had befallen her daughter.
“It’s been devastating watching her suffer all these years. It used to hurt her to eat, talk and smile. Everything was a struggle for her. And it killed me inside that I couldn’t help her.”
[Featured Image by Seasontime/Shutterstock]
