“Sandy is more than three standard deviations below the normal size for her age. Her mother has noticed that she is not growing as well and is worried. Her lack of calories, protein, and nutrients have also made her mental development slow–she is having a hard time learning how to talk,” reports our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK).
“Sandy’s immune defenses have been weakened by her poor diet, leaving her with frequent fevers, coughs, and cases of diarrhea, which put her life in danger and take away all her energy. In the long term, she could face issues such as mental deficiencies, behavioral problems, chronic disease, and low earning potential as an adult if she does not receive treatment,” explains WK.
“Sandy is the first child in her family, and her mother just had another little girl. Sandy loves to play with her dolls and is excited to be an older sister. Her mother works at home taking care of the children, and her father works as an assistant to a bricklayer as well as a day laborer in a plantation. They have a meager and inconsistent income. Although they make sacrifices to give their daughter the best they can, there are many days when all they have to give Sandy is breastmilk,” continues WK.
“Growth monitoring, micronutrient and food supplementation, and deworming medication will help Sandy recover–saving her life now and putting her on track to live a better life in the future. She will gain weight and grow taller. Her immune system will grow stronger, which will further increase her appetite and help her use the extra calories to develop mentally. Her mother will receive support to give Sandy the diet she needs to grow and develop healthily,” explains WK.
Sandy’s mother shares, “I dream that my daughter will grow well so that one day she can have good development with her studies.”
