William is a thirteen-month-old baby from Guatemala, and the youngest of seven children. He lives with his family in a one-room house made of tin. His mother sells corn tortillas, and his father searches for firewood to sell. Although William’s parents want the best for their son, they do not have the resources to feed him even one vegetable, piece of fruit, or egg—the minimum that he needs to be able to overcome malnutrition.
William’s mother has noticed that her son has been loosing weight and getting sick often. This is because William has acute malnutrition, a condition that results from having a diet that lacks protein, calories, and nutrients. He received a preliminary treatment to keep his condition stable until our nutritionist could develop a customized diet plan for him and begin treatment.
William has a history of malnutrition—he has been hospitalized twice for it, along with pneumonia. If he does not receive treatment, William’s life could be in danger and he could face the consequences of malnutrition for the rest of his life—he could have a low IQ, trouble focusing in school, and a greater risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension as an adult.
Growth monitoring, micronutrient and food supplementation, and deworming medication will help William recover from malnutrition. All of this treatment and medication costs $512. He will gain weight and grow taller to catch up with other children his age. His immune system will grow stronger with the increased caloric intake. This will further increase his appetite and help him use the extra calories to gain motor skills and learn new words instead of those calories being wasted on getting over frequent illnesses.
His mother will receive the support she need to feel empowered to give William the diet he needs to grow and develop healthily, even with limited resources. Intervention now will give William the chance to live a healthy and productive life and escape the cycle of malnutrition and poverty that made him sick in the first place.
“I want him to gain weight so I don’t have to keep seeing him suffer in the hospital”, shared William’s mother.