Meet Sindy, a baby girl from Guatemala. Sindy’s mother is unable to produce breast milk, and cannot afford to buy formula as a substitute. She has been giving her daughter boiled water with sugar and white rice bits to help her stop crying, but she is worried because her daughter has not grown since she was born two months ago.
Sindy is losing weight since she is not receiving the protein and nutrients she needs to grow—making her immune system weak and her body unable to fight off sicknesses. At such a young age, malnutrition is life-threatening. Lactation failure can lead to the child becoming starving, dehydrated, and provoke electrolyte imbalances that can cause seizures. Brain development occurring during this delicate time is compromised and the baby is at risk of long term deficiencies.
Sindy lives with her parents and two older siblings in a one-room house made of cinderblocks with a tin roof. Her mother works taking care of Sindy, cooking, and cleaning, as well as looking for firewood on the mountains near their home to sell when she has time. Her father works as a farmer, only making a couple dollars per day by harvesting crops and selling them. Although they want the best for her, even if they spent every sent they had, they would not be able to afford live-saving formula for their daughter.
Lactation failure, while dangerous, is easy to treat. By supplying the baby with formula and the mother with health education, Sindy will receive the calories she needs to grow and thrive. One-on-one education with Sindy’s mother will prepare her for when she needs to start eating solid food, as well as help her watch for further signs of malnutrition and other illness. Sindy’s immune system will strengthen and she will grow up to be a healthy energetic baby.
“I dream that my daughter will study and become a teacher,” Sindy’s mother shared.
