Azucena is a 12-month-old girl from Guatemala. Her parents cannot afford to give her the calories, protein, and nutrients she needs to grow. For this reason, she is only the size of a healthy six-month-old. She also experiences frequent gastrointestinal infections.
She has been diagnosed with acute malnutrition. She has little energy to grow, and her immune system is weak and vulnerable to illness. She is also at risk of chronic disease and delayed development. Fortunately, Azucena began malnutrition treatment on November 24, 2016.
Azucena loves to play with her doll and eat noodles. She lives with her family in a one-room adobe house with a tin roof. Her father works as a day laborer, harvesting crops on a local plantation. Her mother weaves traditional Mayan textiles. Unfortunately, their income is not sufficient to fund this $512 treatment.
While malnutrition can have devastating effects, it is also very treatable. Growth monitoring, micronutrients, and food supplementation will help Azucena recover. She will gain weight and grow taller to catch up with other children her age, and her immune system will grow stronger. Community health workers will teach her mother about creating a nutrient-rich diet from limited resources. Treatment will give Azucena a chance to grow healthy and strong.
"I hope that I can learn something to improve my daughter's diet," says her mother.