Content warning: this story includes graphic images.
A Spanish woman aged just 24 has been left scarred and blinded after splashing caustic soda on her face while making homemade cosmetics.
Marta Bustos, who moved to Seattle, USA and stayed “for love”, had been making soap and cosmetics when the shocking accident happened.
Both of her eyes were horrifically burned by the caustic soda and she was taken to a local hospital, which then rushed her to the Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
After four operations and nine days in hospital, doctors say the only hope for Marta to see again is with a cornea transplant.
She also suffered damage to her face, including an injury which makes it difficult for her to even open her eyes because of the scarring on her eyelids.
Marta’s mother, Anna Gongora, lives in the city of Terrassa in the Spanish autonomous community of Catalonia in north-eastern Spain and, according to local media, has not been able to travel to the US because of the lockdown restrictions.
Anna said that her daughter has no medical insurance and has launched a crowd-funding campaign to collect funds for treatment on ‘GoFundMe’.
Anna told local media: “She has a residence permit, although she does not have access to health insurance. She has severe burns in her face and eyes and her corneas are totally burnt.”
The campaign has collected EUR€200,000 (about AUD$325,000) although the family initially asked for EUR€75,000 (AUD$122,000).
Gongora said: “We do not have a budget of the whole process, we only know that Marta has been operated four times and she has been nine days in the hospital.
“Marta is well and happy with the progress. Her left eye is recovering faster but in general, the pressure in both of them is correct. So even though she is in the hospital she might spend the first night out very soon.”
When some Internet users questioned why the campaign remained active after reaching their donation goal, the family reportedly said on social media that after Marta’s cornea transplant the remaining funds will be given to charity.
Additional reporting by Australscope.
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