María Consuelo Córdoba, 58, has abandoned her plan to undergo euthanasia after a Colombian businessman pledged lifelong financial and practical support.
The Bogotá resident, who was left severely disfigured after her then-husband threw acid in her face 26 years ago, had been authorized for assisted dying following decades of painful surgeries and mounting financial hardship. Her reversal came after 88-year-old businessman Arturo Calle stepped forward with an extraordinary offer that includes a permanent home and monthly income.
Córdoba’s ordeal began in 2000 when her husband concealed acid inside a liquor bottle and threw it over her face after she opened her door. She initially believed the liquid was alcohol. “When I opened the door he threw the acid at me,” she previously recalled. “I didn’t know it was acid because he had it in a bottle of liquor.”
The attack launched a medical marathon of approximately 87 operations aimed at reconstructing her face and restoring basic functions. She has been left dependent on tubes to help her breathe, and for years the cost of additional procedures placed further treatment beyond her reach.
“The plastic surgeries cost money, and where would I get it?” she said during a recent interview, underscoring the economic desperation that had driven her toward euthanasia.
Córdoba’s case first drew international attention in 2017 during Pope Francis’s visit to Colombia, when she met with the pontiff and shared her wish to die. She said he encouraged her to continue living and promised help with further surgery, though she later stated that assistance never materialized.
Her circumstances shifted dramatically after renewed publicity brought her story to Calle’s attention. The businessman, moved by reports of her situation, arranged to meet with Córdoba and made concrete commitments to change her living conditions.
“I am going to give her money every month,” Calle said. He also intends to find her a small apartment where she can live for the rest of her life.
Calle described their meeting as unexpectedly warm, saying: “Consuelo and I have had a great time, we have laughed a lot, we have enjoyed ourselves.”
The businessman’s intervention has made possible two reconstructive operations focused on Córdoba’s nose and mouth—procedures she had spent years fighting to secure. The prospect of finally receiving this treatment became the decisive factor in her choice to abandon assisted dying.
After more than a quarter-century of operations, poverty and uncertainty, Córdoba is now pursuing further medical care with guaranteed support in place.