At just six months old, Love Dikens was admitted to our Rescue Center suffering from severe acute malnutrition. He had a -4 SD for malnutrtion and 1+ edema, the swelling associated with kwashiorkor. His mother reported that he had been losing weight for two months, and the swelling had become noticeable during the two days before his admission.
Love’s father has passed away, and his mother is caring for him and his three siblings—one sister and two brothers. She earns a living by purchasing items in bulk and reselling them for a small profit. Their average monthly income is approximately $76. The family rents a single-room home. Although they have a flush toilet, there is no running water, so his mother must collect water from a hand pump about five minutes away.
Love was still breastfeeding, but not consistently. His mother had also been giving him crackers crushed into water. When he developed diarrhea, she took him to another clinic, where medication was prescribed, but it did not help. Determined to get him the care he needed, she traveled an hour and a half by motorcycle taxi to bring him to our clinic.
At the Rescue Center, Love was started on F-75 therapeutic milk and Medika Mamba, along with increased breastfeeding to provide the nutrition his little body needs.
At only six months old, Love has already faced serious challenges. We are grateful that he is now receiving specialized nutritional care and support at the Rescue Center.
Djouley is a 22-month-old boy who was admitted to our Rescue Center after his condition continued to worsen despite spending several weeks in our outpatient nutrition program. He weighed 18 pounds at admission and had 2+ edema, due to kwashiorkor.
For 15 days, Djouley had been struggling with diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and a cough. His family first sought help from a traditional herbal practitioner near their home, but the tea he was given did not help. When his condition continued to worsen, his family made the difficult journey to our clinic, traveling three hours by motorcycle taxi so he could receive inpatient care.
Djouley lives with his mother, one sister, and two brothers. His father works in the Dominican Republic and sends money to support the family. Their home is made of woven wood and mud with a tin roof. They have no running water or indoor bathroom, and the family gets water from a nearby public water source. His mother grows beans and corn in their garden, both to feed her family and to sell for income. The family’s average monthly income is approximately $115.
At the Rescue Center, Djouley was started on F-75 therapeutic milk to help stabilize his condition. As he progresses, he will transition to Medika Mamba to support his nutritional recovery.
We are thankful that Djouley is now receiving the specialized nutrition and care he needs. Your support helps make this care possible for children like him.
Ismaelle was brought to our clinic after suffering a serious burn accident at home. Her mother was carrying a hot pot of bean sauce into the house. Ismaelle was standing behind a curtain and, as she stepped backward, she fell into the pot, burning herself.
Because the family lives a considerable distance from the clinic, they decided it would be best for Ismaelle to stay at the clinic so she could receive daily dressing changes and consistent care.
She is eating well, and her pain is being managed. We have also placed her on a high-protein diet to give her body the nutrition it needs to support healing.
We are thankful that Ismaelle can receive the ongoing care she needs at our clinic as she continues her recovery.
Herode is a 4½-year-old boy who arrived at our clinic severely malnourished. He weighed just 24 pounds and had a -2 SD malnutrition rating, along with 3+ edema, the severe swelling associated with kwashiorkor. He also had a fever for several days and was severely anemic.
Herode lives with his parents, six sisters, and one brother. His parents are farmers who grow corn and beans in large gardens. They sell part of their harvest at open-air markets to earn income for the family. Their average monthly income is only about $38.
The family lives in a four-room home made of woven sticks and mud with a tin roof. They have no running water or flush toilet, relying on an outhouse for sanitation. To collect water, they must walk an hour to the nearest water source.
Herode’s family traveled 30 minutes on foot to bring him to our clinic for help. At the Rescue Center, he was started on F-75 therapeutic milk to stabilize his condition, with plans to transition to Medika Mamba as he progresses.
Jean Riclet is a 5-year-old boy who was admitted to our Rescue Center suffering from malnutrition and kwashiorkor. He weighed just 23 pounds and had a -2 SD nutritional rating, along with 2+ edema, the swelling associated with kwashiorkor. He had been sick for several weeks with diarrhea and fever, and the skin on his bottom and legs was peeling.
Jean lives with his parents, two sisters, and one brother. His parents are farmers who grow beans, corn, and millet. The family lives in a one-room home made of rocks and clay with a tin roof. They have no running water or flush toilet and rely on an outhouse. To collect water, they must walk 30 minutes to the nearest water source. Their average monthly income is approximately $57.
Jean’s family faced a long journey to get him help, traveling for eight hours by foot, motorcycle taxi, and taxi car. His condition had become so serious that he had not eaten anything on the day he was admitted. The day before, he had eaten only a bowl of soup.
At the Rescue Center, Jean was started on F-75 therapeutic milk to help stabilize his condition. As he progresses, he will transition to Medika Mamba to support his nutritional recovery.
We are thankful that Jean is now receiving the specialized care and nutrition he needs. Your support helps make this treatment possible for children facing severe malnutrition.