“Cristobal is the light of his parents’ life,” writes our Medical Partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK). He “was a highly anticipated baby for his parents,” as Cristobal is their first child. Now two months old, he lives with his parents in their bamboo house in Guatemala, and loves playing with his rattle.
However, Cristobal is currently at risk of dehydration and starvation. When he was born, “his mother was unable to produce enough milk to help him grow normally,” says WK. This has left him undernourished during a critical period of his development, and “without intervention he will not consume sufficient calories to survive his first months of life.”
Cristobal’s parents cannot afford to buy the formula that would save his life. His father is a farmer, but does not have his own land to cultivate; rather, he earns the entirety of the family’s income by picking rubber on a relative’s farm.
Fortunately, WK shares, “Although the effects of lactation failure are dangerous, treatment of it is simple.” $1,016 will provide Cristobal with a year’s worth of formula, and will also offer his mother one-on-one health education lessons with a nutritionist. With this supplemental food—and a mother who is deeply informed on how to monitor his health—WK says that “Cristobal’s immune system will strengthen and he will grow up to be a healthy energetic baby.”
Cristobal’s mother tells us, “My dream as a mother is that he grows and one day can go to school. I want my son to be a man that is smart and hard-working. I love him so much, I hope God gives him many years of life.”
