Meet Moises, an 18-month old baby boy from Guatemala. Moises lives with his parents and five siblings. Both of Moises’ parents are laborers at a local coffee farm. While they are away at work, Moises’ is cared for by his older siblings. Our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK) tells us, “Together, the children play with sticks of wood and climb the jocote trees – Moises just watches. He is a super relaxed child and doesn’t cry often.” Due to acute malnutrition, “Moises’ immune system is weak and he is more than three standard deviations below both the average weight for his age and height for his age,” WK states. Without enough calories and nutrients, Moises faces the risk of further health complications. WK explains, “Without intervention, Moises’ health will continue to worsen – his mental and physical growth will be stunted and he will be at risk of the long-term effects of malnutrition.” For $535, Moises will receive intensive nutritional therapy. Nutritional supplements will be added into his diet to return essential nutrients to his body. He will also receive deworming medication protect him against infection. Moises’ parents will be enrolled in a course on nutrition, teaching them how to provide a healthy diet for their children. “Intensive nutrition education will benefit not only Moises, but his other siblings, as his parents will have the educational tools necessary to prepare nutritious meals for all their children and be able to recognize the signs of malnutrition in the future,” says WK. With an improved diet, Moises will grow at a faster rate and “his immune system will strengthen and he will avoid the devastating long-term effects of malnutrition,” WK says. “We are so thankful for this program, and hope that with your help he will get better soon,” shares Moises’ mother.

“My dream for James is to see him get well, and grow up like other children,” James’ mother tells our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Since birth, this baby boy from Kenya has experienced health complications due to an anorectal malformation—a rare condition in which the anal region improperly develops in utero. AMHF explains, “He is not able to pass stool normally and instead uses a colostomy bag. With his condition, James is at risk of suffering constipation and bowel perforation due to an inability to pass stool normally. He is also at risk of infections at the colostomy site if not treated.” Despite their efforts, James’ parents have been unable to get him the treatment he needs to fully correct the condition. AMHF tells us that James was brought to a “public hospital near his home when he was born to try to repair the malformation.” Unfortunately, this procedure was unsuccessful because he requires a more complete operation. $1,1260 will fund a complete anorectal malformation correction surgery. Given the complexity of the issue, this will be a two-stage procedure. First, James will undergo an anorectoplasty to realign his bowel and resume normal bowel functionality. Second, he will receive a colostomy, allowing him to independently pass stool. In addition to these surgeries, James will receive eight days of care in the hospital and all of the laboratory examinations necessary for a safe operation and recovery. Commenting on the impact of this procedure, AMHF shares that “James’ treatment will help him to pass stool normally. He will no longer be susceptible to infection.”