A Toronto Tattoo Artist Transforms the Lives of Acid Attack Survivors
Amber Lee Gotzmeister performs paramedical tattoos on women and children in India.
Every year, there are about 300 acid attacks against women reported in India, not including the many more attacks that go unreported. These attacks are some of the many reasons that India has been placed in the bottom 20% of ranked countries on the Gender Inequality Index. This statistic paints a chilling picture of the safety, security, and well-being of women and children in India.
Beyond Borders
Eight thousand miles away, Toronto tattoo artist Amber Lee Gotzmeister was moved by these sobering numbers.
“Many of these people suffer greatly in traditional Indian society when they appear different. They are often disregarded by their families and peers,” says Amber. “Many of my patients can’t get jobs, may not be accepted in marriage, and are often hidden and enslaved due to their unaccepted appearances.”
Compelled to be an agent of change, Amber saw an opportunity to leverage her unique tattoo talents to help provide medical relief and empower a renewed sense of confidence and stability for acid attack survivors and people with hypopigmentation conditions like vitiligo.
Amber partnered with The India Project Inc., a non-profit that develops critical social initiatives for underserved populations, including facial reconstruction surgeries, basic health screenings, literacy initiatives for adults and children, and skill training for women in rural areas so that they can support their families. Amber joined as a volunteer in the surgery camps.
Instilling Confidence, One Tattoo At a Time
In 2017, Amber had the opportunity to travel with The India Project and created her first GoFundMe to raise money to purchase the supplies she needed to work alongside them. She went to perform colour matching for reconstruction and paramedical tattoos on survivors.
That year, Amber completed 75 facial reconstruction tattoos for acid burn and accidental burn survivors as well as people with hypopigmentation conditions.
Amber’s most recent GoFundMe for her second trip to India surpassed her goal as support poured in from around Canada to help fund her medical mission. In January, Amber and The India Project completed hundreds more procedures on the scars of acid attack victims and for those with hypopigmentation.
Amber reflects on the story of one woman, “She came to see me for vitiligo patches on her face and hands and feet. She explained to me that she had been using a homeopathic treatment of cow dung — since her and her husband were farmers — on her spots and had been noticing a decrease in the size of the spots.” After working with Amber, the woman was happy and empowered to see the spots on her face finally treated.
The far-reaching effects of disfigurement and acid attacks impact not just survivors’ physical wellbeing but also their social and economic viability in their communities. Disfigurement plays a huge role in how survivors are treated and included in society, as the victims — mostly young women — are viewed as a burden on their families and communities.
So when volunteers like Amber come together to perform reconstructive surgeries, they piece together not just the faces but also the lives of the people they encounter.
