Though she doesn't like to be photographed, Melisa is a happy baby. She loves to play in her baby walker, and is overall a very calm 11-month-old girl. At almost a year old, Melisa’s mother had no idea that her daughter was suffering from malnutrition. After paying a visit to our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK), in Guatemala, her mother was informed that her daughter’s regular fevers were the culprit of a weakened immune system. Guatemala has the fourth highest rate of chronic malnutrition in the world. “Melisa is below both the height and weight curve for her age, and if she does not receive attention she will be at risk of the long-term effects of malnutrition,” explains WK. “Her immune system will continue to weaken and she will be at risk for other illnesses and infections. Her brain and body will experience limited development, the effects of which will follow her into adulthood.” Melisa’s family is working hard to support the health of their growing daughter. Her mother works to embroider textiles and her father is a coffee farmer. Still, they are short of funding medical needs for their daughter. With $512, Melisa will receive treatment that includes growth monitoring, micronutrient and food supplementation, and medication to help recoup and get her back on track with normal growth. In addition, her mother will also receive proper nutrition education to prevent the effects of malnutrition throughout Melisa’s childhood. In advance, her mother expresses her gratitude for the donations that will give her daughter a chance to live a healthy and productive life, “Thank you for wanting to help us. I could never have imagined this.”