"Sandy is more than three standard deviations below the normal size for her age. Her mother has noticed that she is not growing as well and is worried. Her lack of calories, protein, and nutrients have also made her mental development slow--she is having a hard time learning how to talk," reports our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq (WK). "Sandy's immune defenses have been weakened by her poor diet, leaving her with frequent fevers, coughs, and cases of diarrhea, which put her life in danger and take away all her energy. In the long term, she could face issues such as mental deficiencies, behavioral problems, chronic disease, and low earning potential as an adult if she does not receive treatment," explains WK. "Sandy is the first child in her family, and her mother just had another little girl. Sandy loves to play with her dolls and is excited to be an older sister. Her mother works at home taking care of the children, and her father works as an assistant to a bricklayer as well as a day laborer in a plantation. They have a meager and inconsistent income. Although they make sacrifices to give their daughter the best they can, there are many days when all they have to give Sandy is breastmilk," continues WK. "Growth monitoring, micronutrient and food supplementation, and deworming medication will help Sandy recover--saving her life now and putting her on track to live a better life in the future. She will gain weight and grow taller. Her immune system will grow stronger, which will further increase her appetite and help her use the extra calories to develop mentally. Her mother will receive support to give Sandy the diet she needs to grow and develop healthily," explains WK. Sandy's mother shares, "I dream that my daughter will grow well so that one day she can have good development with her studies."

"Leonardo's mother has been worried, because she has noticed that her son is not growing as well as the other kids and doesn't know what to do. He is suffering from malnutrition, and will not be able to grow until he has access to an adequate diet," reports our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq (WK). "His lack of calories has not only stunted his physical growth, but slowed his developmental milestones -- he still cannot walk or stand without support, a benchmark most children reach by about age one. Additionally, his immune system has grown weak due to his lack of calories. He gets frequent bouts of diarrhea, putting his life in danger and preventing him from having the energy to grow and play. In the long term, he could face low IQ, chronic diseases, and difficulty finding a good job if he does not receive treatment," continues WK. "Leonardo is the youngest of two children. He lives with his family in a one-room adobe house with a tin roof in a rural mountainous community in Guatemala. His mother works at home, taking care of Leonardo and his brother, cooking, and cleaning," shares WK. "His father works as a bricklayer. Although they both make many sacrifices for him, they are unable to buy him even the most basic healthy foods--they cannot afford even one egg, fruit, or vegetable per day." "Growth monitoring, micronutrient and food supplementation, and deworming medication will help Leonardo recover from malnutrition--saving his life now and putting him on track to live a better life in the future. He will gain weight and grow taller to catch up with other children his age. His immune system will grow stronger with the increased caloric intake, preventing him from having any more life-threatening situations with diarrhea, fevers, and cough. This will further increase his appetite and help him use the extra calories to develop mentally instead of those calories being wasted on getting over frequent illnesses," adds WK. "His parents will receive the support they need to feel empowered to give Leonardo a diet to grow and develop healthily. Intervention now will prevent the future devastating effects of malnutrition, and give Leonardo the chance to live a healthy and productive life, finish school, get a good job, and escape the cycle of malnutrition and poverty that made him sick in the first place." Leonardo's mother adds, "I want my son to grow and study in the future." Let's help make that a reality.