Leydi lives with her single mother and two of her uncles, who are still elementary school age. Her parents left Leydi’s uncles with her mother due to financial difficulties. Leydi’s mother works hard cooking and cleaning for other families, and she puts almost all of her income towards renting the home they live in. This makes it impossible for her to afford to give Leydi even one piece of fruit, vegetable, or egg per day–making it impossible for her to overcome her malnutrition without treatment.
Leydi has not been able to grow like she should—even though she is 11 months old, she is the weight of a healthy 3 month old. This is because she is suffering from acute malnutrition, a dangerous condition is caused by a diet lacking in protein, calories, and nutrients.
Leydi’s immune system has grown weak due to being undernourished, meaning diarrhea, fever, or a respiratory illness could be life-threatening. . If left untreated, she could face long-term consequences such as increased risk of chronic diseases, low IQ, and a higher likelihood of dropping out of school.
Growth monitoring, micronutrients and food supplementation will help Leydi recover from malnutrition. She will gain weight and grow taller to catch up with other children her age. Her immune system will grow stronger with the increased caloric intake. This will further increase her appetite and help her use the extra calories to develop mentally instead of those calories being wasted on getting over frequent bouts of diarrhea. Her mother will receive the support they need to feel empowered to give Leydi the diet she needs to grow and develop healthily, even with their limited resources. Intervention now will prevent the future devastating effects of malnutrition, and give Leydi the chance to live a healthy and productive life, finish school, get a good job, and escape the cycle of malnutrition and poverty that made her sick in the first place.
“I dream that my daughter grows big and one day becomes a lawyer,” Leydi’s mother shared.
