Padma Lakshmi friend left with devastating scars after being attacked with acid in New York

Top Chef host says ‘this is the nightmare of any parent’ in appeal for facts and donations for Pakistani family

Padma Lakshmi has said that a family friend of hers was the victim of a recent acid attack on New York’s Long Island.

The Indian-American food writer and face of Top Chef told her followers of the attack on Tuesday, and appealed for donations to 21-year-old Natfiah Ikram’s family, who are Pakistani.

Lakshmi said the Hofstra University student suffered severe scars and burns to her face after acid was thrown at her, as well as post-traumatic stress.

“This is a very nice Pakistani family who I’ve known for over a decade,” said Lakshmi. “This is their only daughter.”

“Her whole face is injured and burned. They don’t even know if she’ll be able to see properly again because she had contacts in,” Lakshmi said. “The acid burned and melted the contacts into her eyes”.

CCTV footage from a neighbour shows Ms Ikram unloading bags from a car outside her home last month in Elmont, Long Island, when a hooded figure appeared to throw acid towards her.

“She [Natfiah] screamed when it happened so acid went inside [her body] as well,” said Lakshmi.

“We want to find the people that did this terrible, heinous crime to her and catch them, and we need your help,” she continued. “If you live in the Elmont [Long Island] area and you know any information, please contact the local police there”.

The food personality went on to say that the Ikram family “need help, they need help with the medical bills that insurance doesn't cover. She will need a lot of treatment and care”.

“This is the nightmare of any parent, for this to happen to your child, to this innocent young girl who has her whole life ahead of her,” Lakshmi continued. “I don’t know who in the world would do this, with acid like this.”

According to the GoFundMe donation page, Ms Ikram “has stayed incredibly strong throughout this horrific event”. She spent several weeks in the hospital recovering.

It adds that the Hofstra University student’s “only wish is that the attacker is caught so that she can feel safe in her own home.”

“I am lucky to be alive,” Ms Ikram told The New York Times on Thursday, adding that she was still processing the horrific attack.

It is not clear if the incident has been classified as a hate crime, Lakshmi said, while police in Nassau County, New York, are reportedly continuing investigations into the attack, according to People.

It is one of a number of incidents targeting Asian Americans in New York and throughout the US in recent months, with a recent attack against the Thai Instagram chef, Chanan Aksornnan.