Living beyond self-injury and violence-induced scars.
Spark Hope Scar Revision Project connects people struggling with self-injury or violence-induced scars to free scar revision and an empowering fresh start.
Our Story
The need is real. It’s increasing. And, for me, it’s personal. If you had told me five years ago that my funny, affectionate teenager would engage in self-injury, I would have said, ‘No way!'” I had no idea that my child learned about self-injury at age 11. When she suffered a devastating trauma at age 13, she was too ashamed to share this hard truth with us. Targeted social media and the isolation of COVID led her to self-injury.
She can tell you self-injury is a coping strategy, but it’s not a good one. It doesn’t fix anything and leaves behind ugly scars, daily reminders of trauma, and the cycle of despair that is self-injury.
Spark Hope was born out of my child’s struggle with self-injury and the life-changing moment when Lizabeth Glynn, a friend with a laser esthetics business, explained how laser technology might be able to revise my daughter’s scars. That day changed my child’s life forever. It didn’t take long for us to realize how many other people were struggling with trauma-based scars and deserved a fresh start.
What does hope look like? It looks like a kid who can imagine a future with herself in it. It looks like an athlete finally able to put on her track uniform to become a nationally-ranked champion.
It looks like healthy skin and a fresh start.
It looks like a tiny spark of hope.
Why Now
Self-injury claims among U.S. teenagers increased 99% during the pandemic. These figures are historically under-reported.
1 in 3 U.S. adolescents engage in self-injury and 70% of those who self-injure will attempt suicide at least once in their lifetime.
60% of youth with major depression do not receive any mental health treatment.
From 2009-2013, an annual average of 1.5 million young adults aged 18-25 felt they needed mental health services but had not received any within the past year, and that number continues to climb.
Scar revision is often the first manageable and available step in eliminating barriers to personal growth.
How It Works
Spark Hope Scar Revision Project connects Participants to a network of Medical Scar Revision Providers with advance scar revision technology. Registration begins through your Mental Health Therapist. Together, you’ll engage in the Participant/Therapist Diad process, using Spark Hope tools to assess emotional readiness for scar revision. Once registration is finalized, the Diad is matched with a Medical Scar Revision Provider to explore treatment options.
Join us. We need Donors and Sponsors to enable fair, equitable, and free treatments. Therapists help spread the word and connect participants to our program. Medical Scar Revision Professionals join the Spark Hope Provider network. Individuals seeking treatment register with their Therapist to participate in Spark Hope and help move the mission forward!
We are currently building in Massachusetts and New Hampshire but expect to expand to other locations across the United States within the year. If you cannot travel to those areas, please contact us at info@sparkhopeproject.org, and we will put you on our mailing list to let you know when we are in your area. Please include your address in the email and “Get on the List”!
In Collaboration
