Flory is a ten-month-old baby who lives with her family in Guatemala’s rural highlands. She loves to play with her sister and their toy doll, and to eat her favorite food, which is chicken soup. Flory’s father is a agricultural day laborer, and Flory’s mother weaves traditional Mayan textiles in her free time to support the family’s income.
Flory is ten months old, but she is only the size of a healthy four-month-old. Flory has malnutrition, a dangerous condition that results from consuming too little protein, calories, and nutrients. In the short term, malnutrition means Flory has little energy to grow and that her immune system is weak. She may also face malnutrition’s long-term consequences, such as increased risk of chronic diseases, low IQ, and higher likelihood of dropping out of school.
While malnutrition can have devastating effects, it is also very treatable. Growth monitoring, micronutrients, and food supplementation will help Flory recover. She will gain weight and grow taller to catch up with other children her age, and her immune system will grow stronger with the increased caloric intake. Community health workers will teach her mother about creating a nutrient-rich diet with limited resources.
Our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq, is requiring $492 to fund Flory’s treatment, which is scheduled to begin on April 27. Treatment will give Flory’s family tools to maintain nutritious diets, and it will give Flory a chance to grow healthily.
Flory’s mother says, “I am grateful to the institution for the support that my daughter will receive, because it will be of great benefit to her. I worry a great deal about my daughter’s health, and I will do all that I can so that she recovers.”
