by Morgan Batanian
513-556-5224

May 2, 2016

Her name is Prerna, and it means “inspiration.”

Ironically, until recently, that may have been the last way this UC Blue Ash freshman would have described herself. In fact for years, when she heard her name as she walked the streets of her hometown in Rohtak, India, it was normally associated with the phrase “poor Prerna.”

Prerna Gandhi’s life changed in an instant on June 18, 2011, as the 13 year old was leaving a tutoring class with a friend. The girls hopped on the scooter and started to make their way home. As Prerna drove home with her friend on the back, two men on motorcycles came along from the opposite direction and threw acid at them, mainly splashing Prerna.

Prerna Gandhi around age 13 prior to the attack. photos/provided

She fell to the ground, filled with unbearable pain throughout her body.

“I felt as though half of my body was in fire,” Prerna says, “and I stumbled through an open gate while screaming for help.”  

Acid attacks are alarmingly common in India, Pakistan and many other countries. It is a form of violence primarily directed against women and is seen as an act of discipline designed to destroy someone’s identity.

The acid caused third-degree burns over 40 percent of Prerna’s body. For the next year, Prerna hid her scars with a scarf and only left the house when it was necessary. Her parents encouraged her to go out daily and face their community, to go be confident again. And, slowly but surely, Prerna did.  

“My parents wanted to be proud of me. They would say ‘Look at that Prerna,’” the University of Cincinnati student says. “And I knew I needed to do something to make them proud and feel amazing. I feel like if I didn’t have family support, I wouldn’t be here.”

Acid-attack victims usually stop their education, she says, and stay home. “And that happened to me, too. I didn’t want to go out, and I didn’t want to go to school either. But then my parents forced me to go to school and study, and that’s why I am here.”

Cincinnati bound

Having more than 20 to 25 surgeries in India, Prerna and her family were not satisfied. She knew she was going to need better treatment. Through one of her uncle’s connections in the United States, Prerna’s family was put in contact with Shriners Hospitals for Children — Cincinnati, a burn specialty facility. Shriners provides free medical care for their patients aged 16 to 21 years old, meaning Prerna was in luck.  

As she traveled to the United States with her mother, Prerna knew that this was a good, positive change. After six months of being in the states, her mother returned home to India while Prerna stayed in the capable hands of Shriners and American host families.

Prerna settled in with her host family, Matt and Heidi Hudson-Flege. While living with them, Prerna met a girl about the same age named Graci Doll. She and her family live in the same neighborhood as Prerna did, and the two girls became instant best friends. Prerna was able to go to high school with Graci and shadow her every day. After a year passed, Prerna’s host parents received the news that they had to relocate to South Carolina for work. And without hesitation, Graci insisted that Prerna live in her home with her family.