Francisco is a three-month-old baby from Guatemala. His parents “believe he is the largest gift they have ever received,” says our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK). “His mother had lost their last baby during the third trimester of her pregnancy, so when she got pregnant again with Francisco, it was a wonderful surprise.”
“Shortly after giving birth, Francisco’s mother realized that she could not produce enough breast milk to feed her baby,” WK explains. Soon after, doctors at WK diagnosed Francisco’s mother with a condition called lactation failure.
Due to the lack of nutritious breast milk from his mother, “Francisco started to lose weight and now he is below the average height and average weight for his age,” says WK. Without access to maternal milk, he is at risk of dehydration and starvation, which will quickly begin to impact his development.
Francisco’s parents are very concerned that their baby will continue to lose weight. “They do not have a lot of money and formula is out of their budget,” WK tells us.
$1,220 covers the cost of a 12-month program that will provide Francisco with infant formula in order to replenish his calories and nutrition. This funding will also provide his mother with intensive counseling on how to properly prepare and mix infant formula, as well has one-on-one health education to prepare her for transitioning Francisco’s diet to solid food and watching out for other signs of illness.
Francisco’s parents are very dedicated to their son’s health and hopeful for his future. “Their dream for their child is that he will grow up to become a young professional, and have the dream to be a doctor and help his people like we do,” says WK.