Emiliano is the youngest of three children. He lives with his siblings, mother, and grandparents in a one-room house made of tin in Guatemala. They depend on their grandparents for food and housing. Although Emiliano’s mother wants the best for her son, she does not have the resources to feed him even one vegetable, piece of fruit, or egg—the minimum that he needs to be able to overcome malnutrition.
Emiliano’s mother is saddened because her son is constantly sick. This is because Emiliano has acute malnutrition, a condition that results from having a diet that lacks protein, calories, and nutrients. This has weakened his immune system and made it hard for him to gain weight and grow. He has been hospitalized various times for infections and severe acute malnutrition, and is struggling to gain weight. He received a preliminary treatment until our nutritionist could develop a customized treatment plan for him to keep his condition stable.
If he does not receive treatment, Emiliano’s life could be in danger and he could face the consequences of malnutrition for the rest of his life—he could have a low IQ, trouble focusing in school, and a greater risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension as an adult. All these consequences make it less likely he will have a well-paying job as an adult, meaning the cycle of poverty and malnutrition would continue.
Growth monitoring, micronutrient and food supplementation, and deworming medication will help Emiliano recover from malnutrition. 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. This will further increase his appetite and help him use the extra calories to gain motor skills and learn new words instead of those calories being wasted on getting over frequent illnesses.
His mother will receive the support she needs to feel empowered to give Emiliano the diet he needs to grow and develop healthily, even with limited resources. Intervention now will give Emiliano the chance to live a healthy and productive life and escape the cycle of malnutrition and poverty that made him sick in the first place.
“I want to see my son grow well and recover so he doesn’t get sick so much,” Emiliano’s mother shared. “I want to give him the most normal life that I can to my child.”
