Meet Cristian, an eight-month-old boy from Guatemala. Cristian is the only child of two loving parents. According to our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK), Cristian’s father is a day laborer and his mother weaves textiles to sell at a market. To supplement their income, they also tend to a small corn field near their house.
Cristian is acutely malnourished. Due to his condition, “Cristian has diarrhea and a fever, and his height and weight are far below the average for his age,” WK shares. “His parents cannot afford to pay for medication or hospital visits and so without intervention his health will continue to decline.”
A healthy diet is essential for normal childhood growth–supporting both physical and cognitive development. With this condition, Cristian’s immune system may also diminish, exposing him to risk of infection.
For $535, Cristian will be treated for acute malnutrition. He will receive nutritional supplements and medication to treat and prevent gastrointestinal infections causing his diarrhea.
Cristian’s mother will also participate in intensive nutrition education courses–teaching her how to better care for her son’s nutritional needs.
WK states that with the proposed treatment, “Cristian will begin to recoup the height and weight he has lost, will avoid the long term effects of malnutrition, and develop the ability to concentrate and eventually succeed in school and the work force.”
“I want to learn all I can to help my first child,” Cristian’s mother shares, “so that I can then help others and prevent malnutrition in the future.”
