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August 5, Kathmandu. That night! Jenny Khadka said she had trouble breathing after reaching her room from her office. Her cell phone rang. Even though she didn’t have the courage to answer it, she didn’t care. Yet, the phone kept ringing.
After an unknown amount of time, the door suddenly opened with a bang. His heartbeat quickened when he saw the person standing at the door. She had a husband and was beginning to live apart from him.
She had a conversation with her husband at the campsite in Kalopur. As the argument escalated, both of them walked towards the Kalopur Corridor Road. The drunken husband warned her and asked, “Are you coming back?”
Jenny was disgusted by his behavior and actions. She simply refused and said, “No, I don’t know!”
The husband was holding a bottle. He showed it and asked, “Do you know what this is?” Jenny thought it was a bottle of wine because her husband often drinks.
When she turned sideways, her throat was suddenly wet with cold liquid. It was sour. Some of it fell on her hands and other parts of her body. This sudden blow made him silent. She couldn’t think of anything, “What’s wrong with me?”
When she felt the unbearable stimulation, she panicked. She screamed. She cried loudly.
The husband fled from there. The streets were bustling. The pain began to burn. But no one listened.
Fortunately, a lady was passing by on a motorcycle. She put Jenny in a taxi and immediately took her to Om Hospital. At that time, she was almost unconscious. After the first treatment, he was referred to Kirtipur Hospital for further treatment that night.
The incident on May 1, 2076 on Middle Street in Kathmandu took an unexpected turn in Jenny’s life.
Death is not that hard.
The acid attack by her husband caused deep trauma to her body and mind. Two months of hospitalization left him mentally and physically deranged. About 25% of his body was burned. A greater pain was buried in his heart – how to face the society?
All kinds of questions came to Jenny’s mind. “The burning pain was on one side. But the scars on my body added a lot of pain.” Jenny recalled those days and said, “I was afraid of how to face society after I was discharged from the hospital.”
She used to think, ‘He wasn’t burned by fire, electricity or hot water. My husband threw acid on me.’
This did not keep him awake at night. Rumors began to spread that it was caused by a quarrel between the couple in the hospital. In this situation, the fear of not being able to adapt to society grew day by day. The idea of suicide emerged in Jenny’s mind. “I wish I could die”, she thought.
After a while, the local court sentenced her husband to 3 years in prison. Now they are divorced. Although the physical wounds have not healed, the spiritual wounds are gradually healing. Today, Jenny is committed to building courage and confidence for burnout patients.
Charity in pain
In a corner of the burns ward at Kirtipur Hospital, 24-year-old Renu Periyar writhes in agony. Her left hand is wrapped in a white cloth. More than half of her face is burned. Jalan Entering the ward – Jenny Khadka.
She asked the nurse on duty, “Are there any new patients today?”
The nurse showed the patient’s file. She did look ill. Pariyar tried to stand up.
Jenny smiled and asked, “Have you eaten?”
She said she couldn’t eat anything because of the burning pain and drank a little soup in the morning.
As she said this, Pariyar’s eyes fell on Jenny’s neck. She asked, “What’s wrong with your neck?”
Jenny replied lightheartedly, “I was also burned by acid. Now I work in this hospital.”
Renu is a cataract patient. On June 28, Renu suddenly fainted while boiling eggs with gas, her face twisted into a groan. At that time, the plastic branch on which the vegetables were placed fell, the gas inside ignited, and her left hand was burned.
As Jenny counselled him for some time, Pariyar’s eyes filled with tears.
‘Can you help me?’ “I even came here to seek donations,” Pariyar said in Malinswar, “I don’t know how to treat it now!”
At the time, her husband went to the pharmacy to buy medicine. Renu’s mother sat on the sofa next to the bed. Jenny did not panic and started counseling another patient and assured her to raise funds.
She shared her experience and helped other victims to gain courage.
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Burn patients arrive every day at Kirtipur Hospital in a corner of Kathmandu. Most of the patients who come to the hospital have one question in their mind – “How can I get out into the world now?” What will people say to me?
Jenny is involved in raising financial resources to treat patients and boosting their confidence. She communicates with her patients with an open mind. At the beginning, she explains to patients that their scars have no importance in life. Some patients try to smile after hearing this. When Jenny tells her own story of suffering from burnout, she says, “I am just like you. This is how I walk now.”
Many patients were deeply inspired after listening. But it takes a long time to explain to some patients. Jenny patiently listens to their opinions and tries to build their confidence. Burn patients should be treated for three to four months. Especially for women, the impact of body spots is very large. When family members also express concerns, the pressure on more patients increases. People are curious and ask questions because they are not used to seeing scars on their bodies.
Therefore, many burn patients are reluctant to leave their homes and workplaces. After returning home, most patients want to cover up their burns. That is why they cover their bodies with clothes when they walk.
Faced with this situation, Jenny advises patients, “First, you have to accept yourself.” Only in this way can society accept you. The more you hide your scars, the more you want to hide it, and the more difficult it will be for yourself in the future.
But Jenny teaches how to deal with such behavior. Sharing her own experience, she tells her patients: “When people look at us with pity, we should respond with a smile.” Why should people be afraid to see people?
Jenny’s smile inspired many patients. Parents set an example of Jenny’s work style and behavior for their jealous children to gain courage.
They encourage the children by saying: ‘Look how much his face is burned. But he walks around smiling. Why are you disappointed!’
Now Jenny is turning pain into strength and teaching others to live lightly.
Flashback: Lifting the veil to reveal the depth of violence
After the acid attack, Jenny’s life turned dark for five months.
After two months in hospital, the treatment was successful, but when he returned home, the hospital bill had reached millions. She was scared. For a middle-class family, this amount was not small.
I was disgusted with myself. When Brian had to be hospitalized for 13 days because of money, he was making plans to get rid of himself. “It’s better to die than to live with indelible scars for the rest of my life,” Jenny recalled.
In Ward 24 of the hospital, Sangeeta Magar, who suffered the acid attack, came to see Jenny Jeevan. There was a faint smile on his face. “Hello, sister,” Sangeeta said with a smile.
This moment made Jenny’s thinking change greatly. She began to think, “Singita’s face still has a smile and speaks, even though her face is scarred.” If she walks in public why can’t I? This meeting injected new hope and courage into Jenny’s heart.
After meeting Sangeeta, Jenny decided to give her life a new direction. But coming home from the hospital was difficult. She stayed alone in her room. I was afraid to even step out.
That incident left a deep scar in his heart. ‘I used to feel alone. Her heart was shaken by the words of others,’ she said. But gradually, with the help of family and friends, she began to rise again. And she vowed to herself that she would not live like this again. I changed myself first. I worked for the well-being of people like me. Gradually, I had the courage to come out of the dark room. “With the support of everyone, I slowly began to recover,” she recalled.
Jenny’s struggles did not end there. He faced more challenges in his search for a job. First, she worked for a non-governmental organization (NGO) for a year and a half, and then for Kumari Bank. But even there, he had to hide his scars.
It was very difficult in the summer. “In the summer, the whole body was soaked with sweat. But I used to wear a scarf,” she said. The experience put him in an even more difficult situation. She made a firm decision: “I don’t care what others say. Now I will take off my scarf and walk.
After quitting her banking job, Jenny was again jobless. But her determination and courage motivated her to keep going. He was a senior plastic surgeon at Kirtipur Hospital. She narrated her case to Shankarman Rai. Dr. Rai gave him a job at the hospital.
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Today, Jenny works as a consultant at Kirtipur Hospital. “There is satisfaction in the job,” Jenny says with a smile. Patients are happy to see him. His personal experience makes him a consultant. As they say, “You know more than you can read”, “I know the pain of jealousy!”
Asha said seeing Jenny, a patient with burns on her face, at the hospital gave her hope. ‘When I arrived at the hospital. I was so scared,’ said one young woman, ‘If he can live like this with a smile, I hope I can do it too.’
“We need to change our definition of physical beauty,” Jenny insisted. “True beauty comes from within.”
Jenny’s work has given patients some courage to walk openly in society. Doctors at the hospital also say that Jenny’s presence helps keep up the morale of the patients. This makes the treatment process much easier.
“Jenny is part of our team,” Shankarman Rai said. “His experience and compassion try to change the patient’s mindset.”
His journey was not smooth. He also had to face negative reactions from society, his own fears and uncertainties. But every challenge made him stronger.
Jenny’s work is not limited to psychological support. She also actively solves patients’ financial problems. “Even after being discharged for 13 days, I had to stay in the hospital because of money,” she recalled. They received support from various donor organizations.
At one point, she even contemplated suicide. But the experience made her stronger. “I am determined not to let anyone reach that stage,” she said firmly.
Today, Jenny has become a source of inspiration for many. Jenny’s ambitions do not stop there. Three years ago, she also participated in the Miss Nepal contest and made it to the top eight. Now his goal is to cover every district in Nepal and work on burn prevention. “In Makwanpur, we have seen a sharp drop in the incidence of burns last year as a result of public awareness-raising”, she enthuses.
Jenny’s daily life is busy. At 10 am, she arrives at Kirtipur Hospital and meets all the patients, asking about their diet and financial situation. His actions make the patients feel that they are not alone.
His laughter brings new life to burn victims. She chats with new patients, listens to their pain, and shares her experiences.
But Jenny’s work is not limited to individual counseling. She wants to change society’s attitudes.
Photos-Videos: Chandra Iyer
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