Eight-year-old Luis lives with his mother and his older sister Maribel in Guatemala. His is being raised by a single mother, who works hard cleaning neighbor's homes to earn money for her two children to go to school and eat. Luis is in second grade, and loves studying and playing with his friends and older sister. Luis is thought to have a rare genetic condition called Parry-Romberg Syndrome. This has made the tissues on one side of his face shrink, making his teeth move, and puts him at risk of future seizures due to neurological abnormalities. His mother first noticed a strange red mark on her son's face when he was two, and thought it was a bad mosquito bite. Then, it grew, and a large part of his face has now atrophied, causing him headaches because of his crooked teeth. Most worrisome, though, is his future risk of seizures. His mother says that he has had one seizure before and that she is scared that he will have more. That is why his mother brought him to our clinic to have him evaluated, and why it is so important that he receives an MRI to visualize his abnormalities and give him an appropriate medication. His mother works hard, but she barely makes enough to support herself and her two kids, and cannot afford the high-quality medical care her son needs. $967 will fund the treatment that Luis needs. This treatment will give Luis the medications and expensive imaging he needs. His mother will no longer be scared about his future due to his condition, and he will be able to attend school without fear of having a seizure, giving him the chance to live an independent and full life. In his interview with the Wuqu' Kawoq medical staff, Luis said: "I want to be a fireman when I grow up but my mom wants me to be a successful professional."

Meet Devora, a 22-month-old infant from Guatemala. Our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK), tells us, “Devora is her parent’s first child. She lives in a one-room house made of wood and tin. Her father works as a day laborer in the fields, and her mother works at home." "Devora plays with her plastic tea cups and enjoys eating vegetables. Although her parents both work tirelessly to provide for her, they cannot afford fruit, enough vegetables, or sufficient amounts of protein. Devon is below the average height and the average weight for her age,” WK reports. ”She currently is not consuming enough calories and enough quality foods. As a result her physical growth is stunted, and we worry her mental growth will be stunted as well.” As a result of food insecurity and marginalization, indigenous Guatemalan villages have the highest rates of stunting in the world. In addition to growth stunting, malnutrition can lead to lower IQ, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. $512 will fund the treatment Devora needs to address her nutritional deficit and improve her low energy and subsequent limited mental potential. This involves micronutrient and food supplementation, deworming medication to rid Devora of a parasitic infection, and nutrition education for her parents. With these combined efforts, Devora will recoup her weight and height and strengthen her immune system, laying the foundation for a healthier future. “We hope that she learns to read and write, which will open doors for success,” shares Devora's mother.