Kimberly is eleven months old and lives with her parents in rural Guatemala. She likes to play with her toy doll, and her favorite fruit is papaya. Kimberly’s father works in agriculture in the countryside, and her mother takes care of the household. Her parents want her to have the best opportunities life offers, and they dream that one day she will become a doctor.
However, Kimberly has been diagnosed with malnutrition, a dangerous condition that results from a lack of many essential nutrients. Malnutrition means Kimberly has little energy to grow and that her immune system is weak, so she is vulnerable to illness.
Kimberly will begin treatment on January 19. She needs growth monitoring, micronutrients, and food supplementation to recover. With treatment, she will gain weight and grow taller to catch up with other children her age. Her immune system will also grow stronger with the increased caloric intake.
Following treatment, community health workers will teach her mother about creating a nutrient-rich diet with limited resources. This will give Kimberly’s family tools to maintain nutritious diets.
“We are grateful to God for the great blessing God has given us in our daughter,” say her parents.

