For more than a year, six-year-old Katy has had a chronic cough. She frequently has trouble breathing. Sometimes she coughs so much she throws up, and when she sleeps at night her mother hears her making a whistling sound as she struggles to breathe deeply.
These are the classic symptoms of asthma, and without treatment, Katy’s coughs and breathing problems may only get worse.
Despite her health challenges, Katy is a sunny, kind, and studious girl who lives with her parents and six older siblings in Guatemala. She is in first grade and loves school so far. When not in the classroom, you can find Katy playing with her dolls or toy pots and pans.
Katy will begin asthma treatment on February 16. She will receive medications and a nebulizer (a device that administers medications to the lungs). These will allow her to study, play, and sleep without coughing.
However, her family’s income is stretched too thin to pay for Katy’s treatment. Katy’s father is a bus driver, while her mother takes care of their seven children. For $422, we can sponsor Katy’s treatment in full.
Katy’s mother says, “We hope to God that my little girl gets better. She wants to be a teacher when she is big.”
