Meet Angela, a two-month-old girl from Guatemala. Angela has two older brothers, ages seven and 10. Her father works as a day laborer who picks crops, cuts firewood, and plants beans and seeds. Angela’s mother used to weave traditional Mayan textiles but now spends all of her time caring for her children.
“Angela’s mother cannot produce breastmilk to feed her child,” our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK), tells us. Access to maternal milk is critical for newborn babies to reach their physical and mental developmental potential. Without it, Angela must rely on milk formula which is extremely expensive.
“Angela’s mother could afford to buy one container of formula, but she has been watering it down with sugar water, making Angela gain a lot of weight but putting her at risk of many serious health complications due to the lack of vitamins, minerals, and antibodies she is not receiving enough of,” explains WK.
Without enough of the proper nutrients, Angela is at risk of stunted growth, poor mental development, and chronic illness.
$1,016 will fund medical care to treat Angela’s nutritional deficiencies. She will receive milk formula, vitamin supplements, and visits with a nutritionist over the course of 12 months to get her nutritional health back on track. “Angela’s parents will also receive nutrition education to ensure that she has a chance to reach all her developmental milestones, have normal intellectual development, and be more successful in school,” shares WK.
“I just want my daughter to grow and not get sick,” says Angela’s mother. Let’s support Angela and her family and help fund the treatment Angela needs.
