'Humans of New York' photo of abused Pakistani mother prompts outpouring of support

 By   on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

A Pakistani woman's heart-wrenching story featured on Humans of New York on Thursday has inspired people to get her help.

“I left an abusive relationship and I have nowhere to go. I have Hepatitis C, so no one is willing to take me in," the woman in Lahore, Pakistan said as she held her daughter in one hand and wiped her eyes with the other.

She said she tried to give her child up for adoption so that she'll have a "good home," but when she got there, she couldn't bring herself to give up her child.

When the story was originally shared on Twitter, many expressed a desire to help.

@humansofny Please tell me there is some way to help her. Heart breaking.— Melissa (@melhoudart) August 13, 2015

@humansofny These posts would mean nothing if we can't set up some kind of fund.otherwise these pics are meaningless to me— Umair Khalid (@umairawan582) August 13, 2015

@humansofny @AladdinAkoum if anyone ever finds out a way to help please let me know !— Engin Akyürek (@Jabbs23) August 14, 2015

A day later, Humans of New York announced that the woman had been located and set up with someone in Lahore who can connect her with those who want to help.

According to the announcement, the woman is hoping for someone to connect her with medical services rather than cash donations.

"Based on the outpouring of offers and support from yesterday, hopefully we can help her heal and get back on her feet," the tweet announcing the initiative read.

We have located the woman from yesterday's post, and are in contact with her. We also have someone in Lahore who is going to help connect her with those who wish to help. In order to streamline that process, we created a new email account for all such offers. She is hoping for someone who can help connect her with services, as opposed to cash donations. If you believe you can help this woman with accommodation and/or medical treatment, please email: [email protected]. Thanks everyone. Based on the outpouring of offers and support from yesterday, hopefully we can help her heal and get back on her feet. ------------------------------- “I left an abusive relationship and I have nowhere to go. I have Hepatitis C, so no one is willing to take me in. I don’t know how long I will live. I tried to give her up for adoption so that she’d have a good home. The wife of a minister told me about a place where I could drop her off. But when I got there, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.” (Lahore, Pakistan) A photo posted by Humans of New York (@humansofny) on Aug 14, 2015 at 9:56am PDT

Brandon Stanton, the creator of Humans of New York, has been traveling throughout Pakistan for the month of August to share the stories of people in a different culture with the world.

BONUS: This Is the Human Behind 'Humans of New York'

The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!