Physical Health Guatemala Project #7067

Rescue a Malnourished Child in Guatemala

by The GOD'S CHILD Project

Rescue a Malnourished Child in Guatemala

Project Report | Feb 17, 2017
Estiven's incredible recovery

By Kendell Martell | Administrative Director of Casa Jackson

Estiven a few days after arriving at Casa Jackson

This past December I saw a familiar face waiting to see the nutritionist at Casa Jackson for a follow-up appointment but I couldn't quite place her. I approached the woman and asked her child's name. "Estiven," she said and in my mind I went through the children we had cared for and sent home over the past few months and then it came to me, the healthy-looking 15 month old boy she held was the same child that had come to us just over a year before very severely malnourished. The difference was astonishing!

You may remember Estiven from an update we gave in December 2015. What wasn't mentioned then is that when Estiven came to us he was 2 months old and weighed just under 4 and a half pounds. He was tiny and was struggling to survive. Thanks to donors like you, we were able to provide Estiven with the medical care, vitamins and special formulas that he needed in order to grow, develop and eventually be released from Casa Jackson. Additionally, we were also able to teach Estiven's parents about nutrition so that once he went home he would continue to receive proper nutrition. It is clear that his mother took very close notes during these trainings because Estiven is now a very healthy and happy 15 month old. Estiven is still a bit behind in his development, which is one of the lasting effects of malnutrition, but his parents are working with him and he is progressing quite well.

When cases like these come around we take a moment to celebrate. We celebrate you, our donors, staff and volunteers who make this possible, the mothers who heed our advice and make the necessary changes in their children's diet, and the children who have fought malnutrition and won. Thanks to donors like you we are able to celebrate time and again the recovery of children like Estiven but the need for help continues so we quickly return to caring for those that need it the most. With your help we can continue to fight malnutrition in children like Estiven through both treatment and prevention.

Thank you for your continued support of Casa Jackson!

Kendell Martell

Administrative Director of Casa Jackson

Estiven and his mom one year later

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Nov 28, 2016
Esther and her mother recover together

By Rina Lazo | Director of Casa Jackson

Esther is growing and improving every day

Dear friend of Casa Jackson,

In this season of thanks we would like to thank all of our donors, volunteers, supporters and friends for supporting us in the fight against malnutrition in Guatemala. With nearly 50% of all children under the age of 5 being malnourished in Guatemala there is still a lot of work left to do and we couldn’t do it without your support. Thanks to you, we are able to not only provide medical care so that these precious little ones are able to recover from malnutrition but we are also able to teach parents about proper nutrition and hygiene to help prevent future cases of malnutrition as well as provide psychological care to those families who need it.

Esther and her mother are just one of the many families that we have helped this year. Esther is one year old and is from Escuintla, Guatemala. Her mother was being abused by her father so they separated leaving Esther’s mother to raise the little girl on her own with no economic support from the father. Esther’s mother suffered psychologically from the abuse which caused her to develop a negative attitude towards little Esther. Because of this negativity she no longer fed or took care of Esther as much as she used to causing Esther to become severely malnourished and also causing her to suffer from upper respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis.

Esther was referred to us by a health center in Escuintla and was admitted to Casa Jackson in October where she was diagnosed with severe malnutrition and digestive problems. Over the past month Esther’s health has improved as she gains weight and grows stronger and her mother is also receiving the support that she needs by visiting our psychologist. The two are recovering together, one from malnutrition and the other from the trauma of domestic violence and as the weeks pass both are learning to smile again and are becoming stronger.

Thanks to donors like you we are able to provide quality care to malnourished infants like Esther and hope to their families. Please share this story with your friends and family and consider donating to help us continue this very important work. Every donation, large or small helps us to lower the high rate of malnutrition in Guatemala. Thank you in advance for helping us win the fight against malnutrition.

With gratitude,

Rina Lazo

Director of Casa Jackson

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Aug 30, 2016
Twins have arrived at Casa Jackson!

By Rina Lazo | Director of Casa Jackson

Alex and Marcos

Having twins can be difficult enough when a family has a great support system and is financially stable but imagine the difficulty of raising twins when you can't find a steady job because of your lack of education. That is exactly the situation that Cindy and her husband found themselves in.

Four months ago Cindy gave birth to twin boys, Marcos and Alex. Because of the family's economic situation Cindy was unable to take prenatal vitamins and other precautions during her pregnancy which resulted in Marcos and Alex having lung problems and developing bronchopneumonia. Because of complications during pregnancy Alex was also born at a much lower birth weight than Marcos, with Alex weighing just 3 pounds and his twin weighing 6 pounds. The twins were treated in the hospital where they were born for bronchopneumonia and then referred to Casa Jackson so that they could be treated for malnutrition as well. Marco and Alex were admitted to Casa Jackson in July and because of their severe malnutrition it will likely take them a few months to reach their ideal weight but so far they have been making great progress.

Cindy and her husband are very happy that little Marcos and Alex are able to receive such good care at no cost. Besides helping Marcos and Alex recover the Project has also given their 6 year old brother clothes and shoes and has provided the family with food to help cover the many necesities they have at home.

Thanks to your support we are able to help babies like litte Marcos and Alex recover from malnutrition while educating their parents on proper nutrition and hygiene to prevent future incidents. With almost 50% of children under five being malnurished in Guatemala the need is great but thanks to your donations we are winning the battle one case at a time. Please consider continuing your support by making another donation or sending this update to friends and family.

Thanks for your continued support of Casa Jackson!

Rina Lazo

Director of Casa Jackson

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