Mynor is an eight-year-old boy who lives with his parents and brother in Guatemala. Mynor’s father works several days a week, and Mynor’s mother contributes to the family income by preparing snacks and other foods for local schools and organizations. Mynor has strabismus. This means his eyes do not align in the same direction, and appear crossed. Mynor has complained of problems with his vision for years. He often has difficulty seeing the blackboard in his classroom, and reading is a struggle. Mynor’s parents are very worried about their son’s eyesight, knowing how difficult it is for Mynor in school. Other symptoms of strabismus include double vision, uncoordinated eye movements, fatigue, headache, and loss of vision or depth perception. If left untreated, Mynor’s vision could be permanently damaged. Mynor will receive a strabismus surgery on the muscles around his eyes to alter the way they align. As part of his treatment, he will receive a consultation with an eye specialist before and after surgery, and he will be accompanied by a staff member from our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq, throughout the entire process. The surgery itself is fairly simple, and requires a day or two in the hospital. With this treatment, Mynor will have healthy eyes for the first time in his life. He will be able to see clearly, which will help him in his studies and impact his life for years to come. Mynor’s mother says, “I feel a great happiness and gratitude for this amazing support that you are giving to my son. Thank you for helping people like us and for worrying about our health.” Watsi is requesting $1,500 to fund Mynor's procedure.

“I am so happy that you want to treat my daughter’s malnutrition and will give her support,” shares Dianca’s mother. “Without you, I don’t think she would have the power to recover from malnutrition on her own.” Meet Dianca, a 19-month-old infant from Guatemala. Our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK), tells us, “Dianca cannot talk, but she loves to make sounds imitating the songs she hears in church with her mom. She likes to play with the plastic cups left around the house, as well as small woven baskets her mother uses to carry goods to sell at market.” “Dianca is suffering from malnutrition, which results in a cough and fever,” WK reports. “She is far below the average height for her age and weight for her age. We believe her symptoms are also markers for limited mental development.” 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 Dianca needs to address her nutritional deficit. This treatment intervention will provide Dianca with micronutrient and food supplementation, growth monitoring and medication as well as nutrition education for her parents. This two-prong approach will give Dianca’s parents the tools they need to continue providing nutrition to their child after treatment is complete. Without these combined efforts, Dianca will continue to have low energy and limited mental potential. This nutritional intervention has far-reaching benefits. Dianca will recoup her weight and height and strengthen her immune system, thus allowing her to fight infection and illness throughout her life.