In 1995, a tragedy struck an Indian girl named Anmol Rodriguez, who was only 2 months old at the time. She was attacked with acid by her own father just because she was not a boy. Anmol was lucky to survive, but her mother passed away forever. This heartbreaking incident left the little girl’s face and heart covered with scars, permanently disfiguring her.

Overcoming storms, rising from adversity

For 5 years, Anmol lived in the hospital, undergoing dozens of surgeries. Despite lacking the love of her parents, she received dedicated care from the doctors and nurses. After that, Anmol was transferred to the Shree Maany Seva Sangh orphanage, where she found a safe home. Here, no one despised or ridiculed the scar on her face. However, because she had no friends of the same age, Anmol devoted all her time to studying.

With extraordinary efforts, Anmol passed the university entrance exam. But right in the lecture hall, she faced discrimination for the first time. Social pressure and prying eyes caused her to become severely depressed, forcing her to return to the orphanage.

Fortunately, with the support of a psychologist, Anmol found her balance again. The expert advised her to focus on her own life, not to worry about what others thought. This advice gave her strength, helping her graduate with a Bachelor of Information Technology degree.

However, the challenges did not stop. At her first job, she was shunned by her colleagues, leading to her being fired after less than three months. Undeterred, Anmol decided to change direction. She started learning makeup, took fashion photos and posted them on social media. Despite her ruined face and one eye being blind, Anmol still exuded a special aura, surprising everyone.

From the photos posted, Anmol became a model, collaborated with many brands, participated in fashion shows and even acted in movies. She currently lives in New Delhi, has a stable income from her artistic activities. Her Instagram page with nearly 300,000 followers and TikTok page with nearly 600,000 subscribers have become a place to inspire people.

Anmol Rodriguez once shared that a female teacher helped her change the way she looked at herself: “She said that it was my attackers who should be ashamed, not me. That’s why I don’t want to cover my face anymore. I’m ready to face the world.”

“I post mostly unedited content because I want to break the notion that people should only show their most polished or beautiful selves on social media. It’s not that I haven’t been criticized for it. People still make fun of me and post negative comments. But I’m always mindful that it’s a virtual space, so I never take anything personally,” Rodriguez said.

Today, Anmol is not only a model, a fashion designer, but also the president of an organization that supports acid victims. With a mission to help others in the same situation, she wants to spread a strong message: “Beauty is not what you see in the mirror, but a beautiful soul. Acid is a poison that destroys our faces, but it cannot destroy our souls.” Her story has become a symbol of will, strength and determination, proving that true beauty comes from within.