Meet Miyron, a 16-month-old baby boy from Guatemala, and a patient with our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq. Miyron lives with his parents and his older sister in a one-room adobe house with a tin roof. Miyron is often playing outside with his toy cars, or eating vegetables, his favorite foods.
Miyron is suffering from acute malnutrition–he is over three standard deviations below a normal size for his age. He has not had access to a nutritious diet, leaving him unable to gain weight and develop physically. His mother is worried because he is not growing as well as his older sister.
Malnutrition has also weakened his immune system, and he has gotten frequent respiratory infections. In the long term, he could have a low IQ and increased risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease if he does not receive treatment.
Unfortunately, his parents do not have the resources to buy their son even one piece of fruit or vegetable every day, making it impossible for him to overcome malnutrition without treatment. His parents both want the best for him, but since their only income is his father’s inconsistent work as a day-laborer, they lack the resources to pay for the treatment he needs.
$512 funds a multifaceted program to fight malnutrition that will give Miyron’s mother the nutrition education and food supplements she needs to help her son grow and develop.This treatment will help his immune system get stronger, allowing him to use the extra calories he’s ingesting to grow taller and bigger instead of burning them recovering from frequent respiratory illnesses.
Let’s help Miyron get back on track!