The Care for Skin Foundation is a non-profit organization that strives to heal people around the world suffering from skin loss from illness, accidents, and genetic abnormalities. Their main objective is to restore the appearance of the face and body for people who would otherwise not be able to afford the types of surgeries required.
Care for Skin Has Single Mission to Improve Lives
The non-profit Foundation has been working tirelessly, since it was founded in 2011, to improve lives for those who require reconstructive skin surgery, but cannot afford it. Care for Skin was originally formed to support children experiencing loss of skin resulting from accidents, tumors, burns, scars or genetic abnormalities. Care for Skin strives to save children’s lives by making then look normal while repairing deformities that can often result in death.
With approximately 11 million people worldwide suffering from burn related accidents each year, 95 percent of the injuries happen in developing countries that lack the care and finances to treat victims. Untreated scares from burns can result in causing disfigurement and disabilities for life. Care for Skin aims to treat these burn victims so that they can restore to their functioning normal lives of walking, writing and carrying children. Doctors also work to repair birth defects, such as cleft lip and palate, and fused fingers.
The organization’s health professionals travel to aid children born with cleft lip and palate. This easily repaired birth deformity can result in malnutrition, infection, and death when left untreated. Children suffering from the abnormality often have trouble eating and drinking, as well as communicating. The cleft lip and palate can cause impaired speech, resulting in shame and isolation for the child and family. Care for Skin travels the world performing the short, $250 to $450, surgeries that make an immense difference by improving lives.
Pirko Maguina, M.D., F.A.C.S. a pediatric plastic surgeon at Shriners Hospital in San Francisco is one of the valuable Care for Skin doctors who works with the Care for Skin Foundation. Maguina explains his passion for helping the worthy cause:
"With 4 million kids are born with cleft palates, and 100s are teenagers who have been living with it since birth, I am compelled to help this cause to improve children s lives."
Care for Skin Partners and Volunteers Help Make a Difference
Partners, volunteers, and donations assist in helping the Care for Skin Foundation achieve the goal of saving and helping lives. The organization has discovered individuals and businesses who are of the same mind, and realize the immense good that Care for Skin is providing. By partnering with organizations to finance, the mission has been able to continue in its efforts to help others.
· Image Skincare provides all the funding for administration expenses. This makes it possible for 100 percent of donations to be used for caring of patients.
· ReSurge International provides reconstructive surgical care for children and adults who lack access to services in developing countries.
· The Care for Skin volunteer physicians are Board Certified Plastic Surgeons giving their time and skills to perform reconstructive surgeries at no charge.
· The William H. Donner Foundation holds steadfast to two key philanthropic principles of the founder-acceptance of clearly defined risks and the judicious use of incentive grants to advance thoughtful, creative projects.
· Gunster is a forward-thinking law firm with its fingers on the pulse of Florida’s business climate. Since their beginning in 1925, a major aspect of the firm’s philosophy is to give back in ways that make a meaningful difference in our community.
The Care for Skin Foundation is always looking to welcome new volunteer physicians to join their team. The organization is all about surgeons and others donating their time to normalize body appearance for kids, not about enhancement. Dr. Marc Ronert, M.D., PH.D., and founder of Care for Skin speaks out about the foundation’s passion for making a difference for lives:
"Utilizing my skills as a plastic surgeon on patients who are unable to afford necessary treatments is one of the most gratifying moments in my profession. Often, with simple reconstructive surgical procedures we are able to change someone’s life within just a few minutes. To not offer this to people in need would be unthinkable."
In exchange for performing surgeries without financial reimbursement, doctors receive a platform on the foundation’s website. Organization, coordination and leading of trips to third world countries, to help patients with the need of skin replacement, is taken care of by the foundation’s Medical Board of Advisors.
All Donations to Care for Skin Support Patients 100 Percent
With Image Skincare providing all the administrative needs for Care for Skin, 100 percent of donations go right to supporting patient care activities. Care for Skin is a public charity, with 501(c)(3) status, accepting donations and fundraising support as part of their efforts to continue in their mission.
On May 6, 2017, the first Care for Skin Gala took place in Palm Beach, Florida, as a fundraising venture. Attendance was free for those attending. As the complimentary cocktails and hors d’oeuvres were served, guests joined in with fun auctions. Both live and silent auctions were held with all resulting proceeds going to the Care for Skin Foundation.
To entertain attending guests was the donation by stars in the music industry. The Alex Donner band flew down from New York City to regale guests with their wonderful renderings of jazz and big band sounds. Trent Harmon, 2016 American Idol winner, strummed a borrowed a guitar from the band, explaining about his own being out of commission.
Harmon was an amazing voice, in both song and speech, regarding his beliefs in Skin for Care. Singing out one could feel his honestly heartfelt emotions. The Idol winner won over guests. Viewing his performance, it is clear why he was chosen an an American Idol winner.
Janna Ronert, the founder and CEO of Image Skincare, spoke eloquently at the fundraiser.
"Care for Skin seeks to raise funds to pay for the plastic surgery needed to help kids. The medical missions are self-funded, with everyone involved paying for their own travel, meals etc.. The main mission is to help the children. Our goal is a combination of providing care and finding funding to pay for care."
Ronert proudly exclaimed, “We put our money where our mouth is.”
Image Skincare is not only donating administrative needs to the organization but also donating $1 from each sale of its limited addition Ormedic tinted lip. The special edition lip enhancement complex was formulated in the tint specifically to raise funds for the foundation. Use of the lip treatment makes one’s lips feel luscious and hydrated. By adding up to 40 percent more moisture volume with repeat usage, the product assists in anti-aging efforts.
Restoring normal facial and body appearance, through plastic and reconstructive techniques, for free to those who cannot afford the surgeries, is the foundations main goal. Care for Skin goes beyond their main mission of just sending healthcare professionals to perform surgeries. They also work to train local surgeons to learn to do the procedures themselves.
By means of surgery and skin replacement, the organization has been continuously working around the world to give life back to souls aching from skin loss. Care for Skin has the single mission to, “help wherever skin is needed in the form of skin transplantations, scar corrections, contraction releases and other plastic surgical techniques.” As Janna Ronert says about Care for Skin, “The foundation is about working to solve helping kids one kid at a time.”