San Diego CA— Fresh Start Surgical Gifts has surpassed $50 million in donated medical care to its patients, offering life-changing reconstructive surgeries and related treatments to children in need throughout the U.S., at absolutely no cost to their families.
As of December 31, 2021, Fresh Start has cared for 8,621 patients, offering 22,198 surgeries, with $53,325,191 in donated medical care from both their San Diego and Chicago-based clinics. Medical services are donated by doctors, clinicians, dentists and other medical professionals who tirelessly dedicate their days off to help children in need and change their lives.
Since 1991, Fresh Start Surgical Gifts has been dedicated to transforming the lives of disadvantaged youth with physical deformities by providing comprehensive reconstructive surgery at no cost to the patient and their family. Children receive care at Rady Children’s Hospital, one of the top children’s hospitals in the nation through a longstanding partnership. To further their efforts, Chicago-based Fresh Start Caring for Kids Foundation launched in 2014, as a joint venture between Fresh Start Surgical Gifts and The Plastic Surgery Foundation, in partnership with The University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital.
All the medical professionals generously donate their time and talent to deliver much-needed highly specialized reconstructive plastic surgery and related treatments. Every child receives the highest quality medical care, and the families never see a bill for the services provided. All donations and grant funding are put to the highest use and each dollar donated enables Fresh Start to provide five dollars in medical care. One hundred percent of contributions go directly to medical programs.
“We owe our success entirely to our volunteer medical team who get up at dawn on a weekend with a smile on their face and the willingness to make a child’s dream of a normal appearance come true on their day off,” says Shari Brasher, CEO of Fresh Start Surgical Gifts. “We couldn’t do this without any of our incredible volunteers and donors who offer tremendous support.”
Fresh Start is proud to share that many, many volunteers have been with the program for over 20 years and some dating back to our start in 1991 like Steven Cohen, M.D., an internationally recognized, board-certified plastic surgeon, considered one of the best plastic surgeons in America.
“I’m incredibly humbled and proud to work with such an amazing organization that works tirelessly to change lives for children across the nation. It’s so rewarding to work with these children, many for several years, and to see their transformations is remarkable,” says Dr. Steven Cohen.
Fresh Start aspires to be the go-to organization for a child or teen that needs plastic or reconstructive surgery and is without resources. Committed to removing barriers to accessing high-quality medical care, the organization’s mission extends beyond just one surgery or treatment needed. The doctor each patient starts with is the doctor they will finish with, no matter how many surgeries they need or how long it takes. Translation services make it possible to care for patients in any language, with many medical team and staff members fluent in Spanish.
For more information on Fresh Start Surgical Gifts, please visit FreshStart.org. For media inquiries, please contact [email protected].

About Fresh Start Surgical Gifts

Fresh Start Surgical Gifts transforms the lives of disadvantaged infants, children and teens who have physical and cosmetic deformities through their gift of reconstructive surgery. Providing reconstructive, plastic and neurosurgeries for children across the U.S., Fresh Start’s commitment to children extends far beyond medical care. The organization ensures their children will leave feeling more empowered than before. The impact Fresh Start has on their children’s confidence, drive to receive an education and desire to make a difference goes unmatched. To learn more, visit FreshStart.org.