Yesli was born weighing a healthy seven pounds. Since then, however, her mother has been unable to produce enough breastmilk for Yesli to gain weight. As a result, she is small and malnourished. When she is hungry, her mother gives her the only thing that she can afford, warm water. This limited diet is insufficient and has dangerous implications for Yesli’s health. Lactation failure can lead to starvation and dehydration. Brain development is compromised, and Yesli is at risk of long-term damage. Fortunately, she began treatment on November 15.
Yesli lives with her mother and grandparents in rural Guatemala. Her mother sells atol, a warm porridge, to earn a living. The family’s limited income, already stretched thin, puts treatment for Yesli outside of economic reach. They need help to fund this $1,107 treatment.
Yesli’s treatment will be simple and effective. She will receive formula, which will give her the protein, calories, and nutrients she needs to grow and develop. Her mother will receive in-home nutrition education, so she will learn low-cost ways to prevent future cases of malnutrition. Yesli’s immune system will strengthen, and she will grow up to be a healthy, energetic baby.
“I am thankful for the help you will give my daughter,” says Yesli’s mother. “I hope that my daughter will grow well and not get sick, and then when she is big that she will be a teacher.”
