Libni was born just over a month ago, happy and healthy. Unfortunately, his mother has not been able to produce breast milk and her son has gotten dangerously skinny. His mother took him to a government health center where she was told that her son was malnourished, and he was prescribed formula. His parents cannot afford formula–it’s incredibly expensive for a family living on $3 per day. Libni’s lack of breast milk is not only putting his life at risk now, but making it likely that he could face permanent brain damage and seizures due to electrolyte imbalance.
Libni is the first child to two loving parents. He lives with them in a one-room house with a tin roof in Guatemala. His father works as a day laborer, harvesting crops to earn just a few dollars per day. Some days, if there is no work, they can only afford to eat tortillas.
With $1016, Libni can receive the formula he needs to grow, and his mother will undergo nutrition education. While lactation failure can lead to fatal consequences, treating it is extremely easy and effective. Formula supplementation will prevent Libni from dying from dehydration or acute malnutrition. It will promote normal physical and mental development and give Libni the chance to reach his full growth potential. Nutrition education will provide his mother with the skills she needs to ensure Libni’s healthy growth and development. We believe with both of these combined, Libni will recoup and thrive.
“I feel very worried, because they told me in the health care center that my son needed milk,” Libni’s mother shared. “We don’t have the resources to do that. I don’t want him to keep losing weight and getting sick. I appreciate the help that he will receive. I hope that he improves and continues to grow well so he can become a doctor.”
