Ilsi is a three-year-old girl from Guatemala. Her family cannot afford to give her a nutritious diet, so she is not gaining weight or growing as she should. She 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, Ilsi began malnutrition treatment on December 19, 2016.
Ilsi lives with her five-year-old sister, mother, and extended family in an adobe house. She loves to play dolls with her older sister. Ilsi’s father passed away last year, so her mother supports the family by washing clothes. She needs help to fund this $512 treatment.
While malnutrition can have devastating effects, it is also very treatable. Growth monitoring, micronutrients, and food supplementation will help Ilsi 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 Ilsi a chance to grow healthy and strong.
“Sometimes I don’t know what to do for her because I don’t have the resources to give her what she needs so she can get better and grow well,” says Ilsi’s mother. “I want my daughter to grow and study so she can graduate and become a teacher.”