“My dream for my son is that he grows well and is healthy like other kids,” shares Angel's mother. Angel is a seven-month-old boy from Guatemala who currently lives with acute malnutrition. “Angel is far below the average height and the average weight for his age. If intervention does not occur he will be at risk for the long-term effects of malnutrition and his immune system will continue to weaken, putting him in a very sensitive health state,” shares our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq (WK). “When Angel gets sick, his oldest siblings stays home from school to care for him, because his mother and father have to work during the day. This takes away from Angel’s siblings’ ability to learn, thrive, and work towards a better future.” Indigenous Guatemalans are one of the most marginalized and vulnerable populations in the world. They live in rural areas and suffer from high rates of food insecurity. The poorest indigenous Guatemalan villages have the highest rates of growth stunting in the world. “Angel lives with his 7 siblings in a simple adobe house in a rural village. His family is extremely poor and cannot afford medical attention for Angel,” adds WK. $512 funds a multifaceted intervention for Angel's malnutrition. “This treatment will supply Angel with the growth monitoring, micronutrient and food supplementation, and medication for him to recoup some of the weight and height he has lost, overcome his pneumonia, strengthen his immune system, overcome his fever and cough, and increase his overall caloric intake. His mother will receive intensive nutrition education thus building her confidence and ability to care for Angel and his siblings throughout their childhood,” explains WK.

Mayra is a one-month-old infant from Guatemala, and the youngest of five children. "Her mother wants what is best for her daughter and four other children, but currently is struggling both financially and emotionally because she is trying to care for her five children on her own," says our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq (WK). Mayra’s mother left her husband a couple of weeks before Mayra was born due to domestic abuse. "She believes this stress caused her milk to disappear, and when Mayra was two weeks old, her mother could no longer produce any breast milk," says WK. With four mouths to feed, the mother could not afford formula for her youngest daughter and instead has resorted to feeding her baby with water with honey. "Now, Mayra's weight is decreasing and if she does not receive treatment she will not recover," continues WK. "She will be unable to build an immune system or develop normally both mentally and physically due to lack of nutrients and calories." With $1,016, Mayra will be provided with one year worth of formula. Additionally, WK will provide her mother with intensive nutrition education. Educators will coach Mayra's mother through the process of switching Mayra to solid foods when the time comes. Moreover, if Mayra gets sick while enrolled in the program, the doctors will be there to treat her illness without her family needing to stress about money or medical attention. “I want Mayra to grow well...she is still so small that I think we can change this for her,” shares Mayra’s mother. "I want to have a new life with her, one without her father, and to fight for a better life for my five children.”

Meet Dacheka, a one-year-old baby girl from Haiti. Dacheka lives with her 17-year-old mother and her grandmother. Dacheka has hydrocephalus, a condition where the brain swells with excess fluids. Hydrocephalus can be fatal if not immediately treated. “I wish to be able to take care of my baby well and then return to school when she’s fine,” Dacheka’s mother shares. “I want to thank you for what you are doing for us.” For $1,260, Dacheka can get a shunt placement, which Project Medishare explains will “drain the liquids out of her head and fix the fluids circulation problem. This will give her access to have a healthier life and a good chance to grow up.”