"Let Food Be Thy Medicine..."

According to the World Food Programme, Guatemala has the highest rate of malnutrition in Latin America and the Caribbean with nearly half of children under 5 suffering from stunting. That rate is even higher among children from rural, indigenous communities.

Kevin (pictured above) is 4 years old. He weighed 23 pounds when he presented to our clinic recently. For reference, that is a little over half of what your average 4 year old weighs.

Kevin's height-for-age z-score (a metric for identifiying presence and severity of malnutrition) was -4.5 and his weight-for-age z-score was calculated as -3.4. Those z-scores are consistent with severe malnutrition.

He was also, unsurprisingly, noted to be anemic.

Kevin's mother indicated she did not have funds to purchase medication. We reassured her that we he had no interest in her money, or lack thereof, but we did care deeply about the health of her child.

Kevin and his family typically drink water from a well near their home. We provided them with a point-of-use water filter.

Kevin was provided with Nutri Listo, a Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF).

Antimicrobials were started to address his gastrointestinal illness.

Treatment of Kevin's anemia was initiated.

He will have close follow-up and hopefully his diarrhea will resolve, his anemia will improve, and his growth will begin to normalize.

Thanks to your support, Kevin will have renewed health and renewed hope.