Pamela is a 22-month-old girl from Guatemala. She does not have access to an adequate diet, so she is more than three standard deviations below the normal size for her age. Pamela is having difficulty learning to talk, and she is frequently ill.
Pamela has been diagnosed with acute malnutrition. She has little energy to grow, and her immune system is weak and vulnerable to illness. She is also at risk of chronic disease and delayed development. Fortunately, she began malnutrition treatment on November 24, 2016.
Pamela is the first and only child in her family. She loves to play and jump. Her mother says that even when she gets hurt, she stands back up and keeps jumping. Pamela also loves to eat watermelon and refried beans.
Her father works as an assistant to a bricklayer and as a day laborer in a plantation. While Pamela’s parents want the best for their daughter, their resources are already stretched thin. They cannot afford to pay for her $512 treatment.
While malnutrition can have devastating effects, it is also very treatable. Growth monitoring, micronutrients, and food supplementation will help Pamela recover. She will gain weight and grow taller to catch up with other children her age, and her immune system will grow stronger. Community health workers will teach her mother about creating a nutrient-rich diet from limited resources. Treatment will give Pamela a chance to grow healthy and strong.
