Hi there!

My name is Isabella Martin and I am a registered nurse from the Gold Coast.

Despite what you hear and read in the media, our health system is pretty good in comparison to some countries around the world. We have access to safe, timely and affordbale medical treatment - something which we take for granted. Like many developing countries around the world, Nepal has minimal support services or benefits and 50% of people live on less than $1.25 per day. This makes it nearly impossible for most people to access specialist medical treatment.

Open heart international is a humanitarian agency who facilitates surgical trips in disadvantaged communities.  As a team we will be providing reconstructive surgery for burns victims that have lost functionality as a result of burns injury subsequent contracture. This will be my second trip to Nepal. The staggering number of burn related injuries in Nepal means that the government and hospital networks cannot cope with the demand. These people are tragically inhibited by their disabilities and plagued with the negative stigma associated with these injuries. My role in the team is a registered nurse. Together with the Nepali nurses (who are amazing!), I will be looking after patients recovering from their surgeries. Additionally, I will help educate and empower the local staff on best clinical practice.

By supporting this important work you are providing much needed funds to support the project costs including supplies, travel expenses, and equipment. Taking large teams and lots of equipment around the world doesn't come cheaply, so every single piece of support will help make a difference. As a part of volunteering, each person commits a contribution towards the project they are participating in. This contribution is used to fund the project costs listed above. This contribution ranges from $1600-$3000

By bring modern surgery, training, equipment, and community education to where they are needed most, we're not just saving lives today, we're transforming a whole community's ability to save lives ongoing. And that's one of the most valuable gifts we can possibly give to other human beings.

To donate, simply click on the Donate Now button.  Your donation is secure, and you will receive your tax deductible receipt via email instantly.

Still need convincing? Here's a couple of extra reasons why:

Your Donation lasts long after you give it. We don't believe in one-off miracle cures - instead we commit to long-term community-wide change. Our programs delivery life saving operations, as well as local medical training, so your impact lives long after a project ends.

We're powered by volunteers. For over 30 years our projects have been run by volunteers - last year alone we had 305 volunteers helping 542 patients across 15 major project visits - meaning you know your donation is reaching those in need.

Decades of delivery. We've been building capacity in communities in needs since 1986. In that time we've not only helped countless people across the globe, we've honed our business side to stretch every donations as far as possible.