Meet Carlos, a one-year-old baby from Guatemala and the youngest of four children. “He loves to play with his toy cars and make sound effects when he drives them along the floor of this house,” shares our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK).
“Carlos is suffering from malnutrition. His weight and height are far below the average for his age, and he is at for the risk for long-term negative effects of malnutrition,” WK explains. “If left untreated, Carlos will not develop to his full potential physically and mentally, and will hit developmental milestones later than his peers.”
WK adds that, without intervention, “Carlos’ energy will decrease, and he will be unable to develop to his full mental potential, thus limiting his ability to concentrate and go far in school. His immune system will weaken, putting him at risk for infections, such as pneumonia, and later in life he will be at higher risk for chronic illness such as diabetes and hypertension.”
For $535, we can fund a comprehensive acute malnutrition treatment that will get Carlos back on track. “He will receive micronutrient and food supplementation and his parents will undergo intensive nutrition education so they feel confident continuing his care even after treatment with WK is completed. Carlos’ immune system will strengthen and he will have more energy to play with others and learn from his surroundings,” reports WK.
In the words of Carlos’ mother, “I am grateful to God and to the institution for the help that you are bringing to my baby Carlos, so that he can recover. I don’t feel capable of being able to give him all the nutrients necessary for his recovery.”
Let’s help Carlos regain his energy and return to a stable course of growth!