At just two months old, Judeline has already faced more challenges than many people experience in a lifetime.
Recently, she was admitted to our Rescue Center along with her mother, who is also seriously ill. When Judeline arrived, she weighed only 2.7 kilograms (about 6 pounds) and was suffering from severe malnutrition, earning a weight-for-age rating of -4 SD. She was also battling diarrhea, vomiting, and a persistent cough, leaving her tiny body weak and vulnerable. Getting to the clinic was no easy task. Judeline and her mother traveled for two hours by motorcycle in hopes of finding the care they desperately needed. The family’s daily life is marked by significant hardship. Judeline’s father works as a woodworker, while her mother earns a small income by purchasing items in bulk and reselling them in the community. Together, they earn approximately $192 per month. The family lives in a one-room house made of tin. There is no running water in their home, and they must walk about ten minutes to purchase water for drinking, cooking, and washing. They do not have a flush toilet, relying instead on an outhouse. The couple has experienced heartbreaking loss, having lost two children. They are now raising two other children in addition to baby Judeline. Despite her own illness, Judeline’s mother continues to do her best to breastfeed her daughter, determined to give her every chance to survive and grow stronger. As our medical and nutrition teams care for both mother and baby, we are hopeful that Judeline’s story will be one of healing and restoration. Her journey is still just beginning, but with proper nutrition, medical treatment, she has an opportunity to overcome these difficult circumstances and thrive. Please keep Judeline and her family in your prayers as they walk this road toward recovery together.
Manoucheca’s journey has not been an easy one. Born with a cleft lip and palate, she has faced challenges with eating, nutrition, and daily life since infancy. Today, she is staying at our Rescue Center as we work to improve her nutritional status and prepare her for an upcoming surgery that will help transform her future.
Manoucheca lives with her parents and two siblings in a modest four-room home constructed from rocks and tin. Her parents are hardworking farmers who grow beans, corn, and millet to provide for their family. Despite their efforts, opportunities are limited, and the family survives on an average monthly income of just $57.
Daily life requires perseverance. The family has no running water in their home and no sanitation facilities. To meet their water needs, they must walk approximately 20 minutes to collect water for drinking, cooking, and washing.
While the road ahead still includes surgery and recovery, Manoucheca’s future is filled with hope. Thanks to the support of compassionate donors and the dedication of her family, she is receiving the care she needs to prepare for this life-changing procedure. We are honored to walk alongside her during this important season and look forward to seeing her continue to grow and flourish.
When Flandy arrived at our clinic, his family had already traveled a long and difficult road. Referred from a medical facility nearly six hours away, Flandy’s condition had become too serious to manage closer to home. Suffering from kwashiorkor, a severe form of malnutrition, he weighed just 18.8 kilograms (about 41 pounds) and had a weight-for-age rating of -2 SD.
For more than two weeks, Flandy had been showing signs of kwashiorkor. He had experienced fever for three days and had been battling a cough for an entire week. His weakened body desperately needed specialized care and nutritional support.
Because his younger brother, Wenlove, is still breastfeeding, he accompanied Flandy and their mother to the Rescue Center during the recovery process. The family has endured tremendous hardship over the years. Flandy and Wenlove’s parents are farmers who grow beans, squash, and corn to support their household. They have welcomed nine children into their family, but heartbreakingly, only six are living today. Three children have passed away, including two who died from malnutrition.
The family lives in a small one-room home made of rocks, clay, and tin. There is no running water in the house and no flush toilet, though they do have access to an outhouse. Each day, water must be collected from a source located about a 30-minute walk from their home.
Upon admission, Flandy was immediately started on F-75 therapeutic milk to stabilize his condition. As his health improved, he transitioned to Medika Mamba, a nutrient-rich therapeutic food designed to help severely malnourished children recover and grow stronger. With careful monitoring, medical care, and nutritional support, Flandy is beginning the journey toward healing.