Milvia was born only a week ago--but was premature. Milvia is also a twin--a surprise her parents got when they were born! Unfortunately her and her sister Yolanda are both underweight, and her mother is having trouble producing breastmilk--leaving both babies with dangerous weight loss and failure to grow. Without sufficient breastmilk during this delicate time, Milvia's brain development could be permanently affected, she could be at risk of seizures because of hormonal imbalances due to her mother giving her sugar water, and if she gets sick now, it could be life-threatening. Milvia and her sister are constantly crying because they are hungry--making her whole family distressed and feeling powerless to help their daughters. Milvia lives with her 6 brothers and sisters and her parents in a humble home made of adobe with a tin roof. Millie's mother weaves typical Mayan textiles to make money at home while taking care of her children. Her father works as a day laborer, harvesting crops for long hours. Between the two of them, they bring in only a couple dollars per day for the whole family--nowhere near enough to purchase the life-saving formula she and her sister need. Despite being dangerous, this condition is incredibly easy to treat. Milvia will be enrolled on November 16 to receive formula and her parents will receive nutritional education, giving Milvia the treatment she needs now to grow big and strong, and giving her family the tools to recognize and prevent future cases of malnutrition. Her mother said, "I hope that my daughters grow big and healthy without health problems. I want to see my daughters grow to be healthy, intelligent, and in the long term be able to study."

21-month-old John lives with his family in a bamboo house without electricity or a water supply. He loves to play basketball with other children. His father works as a laborer at a sugarcane plantation. John has been diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition. He began $268 malnutrition treatment on October 21. He is being treated by International Care Ministries (ICM), a Watsi medical partner. One out of five children under five in ICM communities is either severely or moderately acutely malnourished. Worldwide, poor nutrition is associated with nearly half of all deaths in young children. In remote communities and urban slums of the Philippines, the lack of clean water and unclean environments add risk to potentially fatal childhood diseases. ICM’s Home-Based Feeding program provides nutrient-enriched food packs to ensure malnourished children get additional food to regain normal weight and achieve optimum physical and mental development. After identifying a child as malnourished, staff and community volunteers make weekly visits to monitor this child’s progress. To help sustain the health of the child, ICM's professional staff educate the mother, guardian, or other family members about proper nutrition, sanitation, hygiene, and organic vegetable gardening. "I hope that he can recover from malnutrition," says John's mother, "so that he will become strong and healthy."

Born less than one month ago, Quinel lives with her parents and older sister in a one-room rental house in Kenya. Her mother is a housewife, and her father is employed casually as a carpenter. Quinel was born with a cystic mass on her lower back. Her condition—known as spina bifida—is a birth defect in which several vertebrae in the lower back do not close properly, leaving the baby’s spinal canal exposed. The spinal cord and its surrounding membranes protrude through the opening in the backbone, forming a sac on the baby’s lower back. Without treatment, Quinel is at a risk of acquiring infections and experiencing delayed physical development. In children with spina bifida, the exposed spinal canal allows the spinal cord to attach to other tissues in the lower back. The cord can become tethered to those tissues and cannot move freely within the spinal canal, leading to back or leg pain, weakness or numbness of the legs or feet, and difficulty standing or walking. Doctors immediately referred Quinel for specialized treatment at BethanyKids Kijabe Hospital to save her from the effects that come with the condition. At BethanyKids, an immediate operation is required at a cost, but Quinel’s parents are not able to raise the funds required for her surgical care. For $1097, Quinel will undergo a surgical procedure to place her spinal cord back inside the spinal canal and close the opening on her back. Funding for Quinel also covers the costs of a ten-day hospital stay, three days of physical therapy, imaging, lab tests, and medicine. "It's a tough battle, but I believe we will get through," share Quinel's mother. "My utmost prayer is that Quinel gets treated."

Ayan is a 19-month-old little girl from Kenya. When she was one week old, her grandmother noticed that her head was abnormally large. A scan revealed that little Ayan has excess fluid in her head and a surgery was recommended. Ayan has hydrocephalus, a condition where her head retains cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Unfortunately, they could not afford treatment and returned home. Untreated hydrocephalus can result in high pressure on the brain, which can lead to loss of vision and eventually death. The family resides in a single room traditional house in the North Eastern region of Kenya. Ayan’s grandmother sells mid-day tea and occasionally teachers in a local school. Her mother just dropped out of her seventh year in school and now stays at home nursing her only child. Her father left them and is not willing to be associated with them. With a menial income that barely sustains their needs, Ayan’s grandmother earns the sole income and is not able to raise the funds required. $685 will cover the costs of the surgery and care Ayan needs to drain the excess fluid in her brain. Let's help raise the funds! “We had given up all hope of getting treatment but I am happy that finally my grandchild will get help,” shared Ayan’s grandmother.

"Dylan is suffering from malnutrition, meaning that he is much too small for his age," says our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq (WK). "Not only has his physical grown been stunted, but he also has a weak immune system due to a lack of protein, calories, and nutrients." Dylan is a nine-month-old baby who lives in rural Guatemala with his parents. He's the youngest of two children. His father works in the fields as a day laborer where he earns a few dollars a day when work is available. His parents don't have the resources to feed him fruits, vegetables or eggs needed to maintain healthy growth. WK explains, "Unfortunately, malnutrition also decreases his appetite--Dylan's mother says that she has to struggle with him to get him to eat. If Dylan does not receive treatment, he could face the consequences for the rest of his life—such as short stature as an adult, lower IQ, a harder time focusing, and have trouble in school--all making it more likely that he will have lower-paying job as an adult and have children who are also malnourished." For $512, we can enroll Dylan in WK's malnutrition therapy program, which will provide growth monitoring, food supplements and deworming medication, allowing him to resume normal growth. If he's treated now, he can resume normal mental and physical development. "His parents will receive motivational nutrition education so they can learn how to best feed Dylan, even with the little resources they have," WK says. "This treatment will give Dylan a better chance of escaping the cycle of malnutrition and poverty," WK says.

A Wuqu' Kawoq (WK) health worker met three-month-old Axel and his family when visiting homes in rural Guatemala, recruiting patients for a malnutrition program. Axel lives with his seven siblings and his parents in a one-room adobe house with a tin roof. They are indigenous Maya, and have few educational and health care resources available to them. His mother works at home, cooking and cleaning and taking care of Axel and his siblings. His father is an assistant to a bricklayer, who makes only a couple dollars per day. Axel's malnutrition was so severe that the WK community health worker decided to give Axel a preliminary supply of formula until he could be evaluated by a nutritionist. He has been losing weight and has not grown taller since he was born because of frequent sicknesses, and could be at risk of seizures and diarrhea if he is unable to receive formula. Axel's mother has had trouble producing breast milk for all of her eight children-- Axel being the youngest. For her other children, a sugary rice drink has helped them to stop crying and supplement the little breast milk she produces. Unfortunately for Axel, this has not been enough since her breast milk production has gone down even more. Although lactational failure is a dangerous condition, it is simple to help supplement children's nutrition to overcome this lack of maternal milk. For $1016, Axel will receive formula which will give him the protein, calories, and nutrients he needs to grow and thrive. His family will also receive motivational nutrition education, so they will be able to give Axel the best diet possible once he starts to eat solid foods. This treatment will give Axel's parents the tools to prevent future malnutrition and help their son have a full and healthy life. "I hope my son can grow healthy so he can be a good student," shares Axel's mother.

Meet Francisco, a three-month-old baby boy from Guatemala. Francisco's mother is unable to produce breastmilk. His parents were able to purchase a small amount of formula to give him, but they have only been giving him about half of what he needs, leaving him malnourished. Now, his parents have run out of money and cannot buy him any more. Francisco has been losing weight since his parents have not been able to afford the formula, weakening his immune system and putting him at risk for seizures and diarrhea, which can be life-threatening. Since he was acutely malnourished when a physician from Watsi's medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq, first found and visited Francisco in his home, he gave Francisco a small amount of formula to use until he could be evaluated by a nutritionist. Francisco lives with his family in a one-room adobe house with a tin roof. Although his mother spends her days taking care of him and his father works in the fields tending to crops, they do not have the resources to buy Francisco the formula he needs. After borrowing money from friends and family, they are out of options to pay for this expensive treatment. Although Francisco is very sick, treatment is simple and very effective. Wuqu' Kawoq's nutritionist will design a treatment for him so he will get all the proteins, calories, and nutrients he needs to grow and thrive. For $1,016, Francisco will receive twelve months of milk formula and six months of micronutrient supplementation. He will grow stronger, catch up in his growth, and be able to have a normal childhood! Let's help fund this important treatment for Francisco.

Bethwel is a newborn baby from Kenya who's not quite two weeks old. "He naps calmly on his young mother’s lap," says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Bethwel was born with congenital hydrocephalus, a condition where excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates on his brain. "Bethwel has an abnormal head size due to accumulation of cerebral spinal fluid in the brain. If not treated, accumulation of cerebral spinal fluid may cause brain damage," AMHF says. Surgery to treat Bethwel will cost $615. Doctors will install a shunt in his brain, which will drain the excess fluid to be re-absorbed elsewhere in the body. This live-saving procedure will prevent brain damage and reduce Bethwel's head swelling. "Bethwel's mother is fifteen years old, she was orphaned at a very tender age," AMHF says. "Bethwel's father abandoned them when he learnt that she was expectant ... Bethwel’s mother depends fully on Bethwel's grandparents who are subsistence farmers with no other source of income. They are therefore not able to raise the funds required for Bethwel's surgical care, which according to the doctor is urgent." “I am glad my son was diagnosed and now we know what we are fighting!" Bethwel's mother says. "If only we could raise the funds required for his treatment. I am dependent on my grandparents and they are aged and so they cannot help much. I will appreciate any help accorded to Bethwel."

Nine-month-old Yonathan has been losing weight and not growing taller for the past couple of months. This is because he is malnourished, and is not getting the calories, protein, and nutrients he needs to grow. His mother is worried that he is not growing, and has noticed that his appetite has decreased. His energy level has been lower than normal, and he hasn't wanted to play as much as he used to. In the long term, he could face risks such as decreased IQ, chronic diseases, and subsequent low earning potential if he does not receive treatment. Yonathan lives with his family in a one-room adobe house in Guatemala. If this story sounds familiar it is because Yonathan's twin brother, Kenneth, is also a Watsi patient dealing with malnutrition. His father works as a day laborer, harvesting crops such as corn, beans, and squash. His mother works at home taking care of Yonathan and his brother. Together they live on about two dollars per day, making it impossible to afford fruits, vegetables, and eggs for Yonathan and Kenneth. However, for $512 treatment will be possible for Yonathan. Growth monitoring, micronutrients and food supplementation will help Yonathan recover from malnutrition--saving his life now and putting him on track to live a better life in the future. He will gain weight and grow taller to catch up with other children his age. His immune system will grow stronger with the increased caloric intake, preventing him from having any life-threatening situations with diarrhea and fevers. This will further increase his appetite and help him use the extra calories to develop mentally instead of those calories being wasted on getting over frequent illnesses. His parents will receive the support they need to feel empowered to give Yonathan the diet he needs to grow and develop healthily. Intervention now will prevent the future devastating effects of malnutrition, and give Yonathan the chance to live a healthy and productive life, finish school, get a good job, and escape the cycle of malnutrition and poverty that made him sick in the first place. "I am worried because my son is not eating like he should," explains Yonathan's mother. "I am interested to know what I have to give him to improve his diet."