One-year-old Yoselin is the youngest of four children in a family from Guatemala. She loves playing with her pet cat and her toy puppy that squeaks.
“Yoselin is malnourished and has a cough,” our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK), tells us. “If intervention does not occur, Yoselin will be at risk of all the long-term effects of malnutrition…. [including] limited brain development and a weakened immune system.”
Yoselin’s father does field work as a day laborer, and her mother weaves blouses to support their family. They’re unable to raise enough funds to cover the cost of Yoselin’s treatment.
$535 covers treatment to identify conditions contributing to Yoselin’s malnutrition and for medical care to address those conditions. “This treatment will allow us to monitor and assess Yoselin’s growth and progress as well as give her the nutritional support she needs to thrive,” explains WK. “She will receive medication, micronutrient supplementation, and food to eliminate any parasitic infection she may have, as well as her cough, and bolster her caloric intake.”
Yoselin’s family will also receive help from a nutritionist to educate them on a healthy diet. “Yoselin’s mother will participate in intensive nutrition education courses that will give her the background to better provide healthy, nutrient-dense options for her children,” WK shares.
The positive impact of treatment for Yoselin will be long-lasting. “Yoselin will avoid the long-term effects of malnutrition and develop the ability to concentrate and eventually succeed in school and the work force,” explains WK.
“This is going to help her so much, because now I cannot buy what is necessary for my child, so this will be such great help for her,” says Yoselin’s mother.
