Nonprofit Fresh Start Announces 2019 Surgery Weekends

Fresh Start Surgical Gifts, a San Diego-based nonprofit, announces its 2019 Surgery Weekends at the Fresh Start Clinic located at Rady Children’s Hospital.

During Surgery Weekends, Fresh Start provides free-of-cost reconstructive surgeries and other related healthcare services for children with physical deformities caused by birth defects, accidents, abuse or disease, including microtia, neurofibromatosis, cleft lip and cleft palate, and port wine stains. Fresh Start also treats common conditions that cause low-self esteem among children, including scars or birthmarks, misshapen ears and strabismus (crossed eyes). Fresh Start patients will receive services at the Fresh Start Clinic on the following dates:

• March 9-10, 2019
• May 4-5, 2019
• July 13-14, 2019
• Sept. 7-8, 2019
• Nov. 2-3, 2019

“Our team of volunteer plastic surgeons convene every six weeks to transform the lives of kids with physical deformities through the gift of reconstructive surgery and related healthcare services,” said Fresh Start CEO Shari Brasher. “This year, our goal is to increase our local patient database and assist families in need that reside in our own backyard.”

Fresh Start’s overhead is covered by the Fresh Start Surgical Gifts Foundation, which allows 100 percent of every donation to directly fund the medical program. Fresh Start covers transportation costs to assist patients to and from their appointments as well as the cost of lodging and food during the Surgery Weekends.

Since Fresh Start’s inception in 1991, over 6,500 children have received free-of-cost medical care valued at over $39 million, and Fresh Start’s volunteer base has grown to over 400.

For more information, visit https://www.freshstart.org/. To apply for the Fresh Start Medical Program, contact Fresh Start Medical Program Services Manager Lupita Morales at Lupita@FreshStart.org or 760-448-2025.

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About Fresh Start Surgical Gifts

Fresh Start transforms the lives of disadvantaged infants, children, and teens with physical deformities caused by birth defects, accidents, abuse, or disease through the gift of reconstructive surgery and other healthcare services. In 1991, the late Dr. Dennis Nigro founded Fresh Start. In 2001, Fresh Start received a large gift in support of its mission, therefore establishing a separate foundation the Fresh Start Surgical Gifts Foundation. This foundation allows 100 percent of every donation to be designated towards the Medical Program. The establishment of the Fresh Start Surgical Gifts Foundation enabled Fresh Start to become a sustainable organization. After the establishment of Fresh Start Surgical Gifts, Fresh Start expanded and opened the Fresh Start Clinic at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego in 2009.

In 2014, Fresh Start Surgical Gifts began a collaboration with the Plastic Surgery Foundation to expand Fresh Start nationally through the creation of Fresh Start Caring For Kids Foundation, with the initial site expansion taking place at the University of Chicago Medical Center’s Comer Children’s Hospital.