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 | Nov 10, 2022
Repairing a Broken Heart

By Robbie Middleton | Padrinos Department

Casa Jackson does so much more than just help children to recover from malnutrition. When a child come to us we have a responsibility to them and their general wellbeing, and we do what we can to take care of them.

One such child who is currently a patient in Casa Jackson is 5-year-old María*. María arrived at Casa Jackson on the 2^nd of June along with her mother and younger sister. Both were severely malnourished, with María also showing signs of marasmus. So far, María has gained 4 lbs. 8 oz. or 15% of her initial weight.

María lives in San Juan Sacatepéquez with her mother, sister, grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins. Their house is made of cement blocks, wood and sheet metal. María, her mother and sister share a bed in the single room they have. It is filled with just a small wardrobe, with no other possessions. María’s father does not support the family, despite there being an order from the judge for him to do so.

During María’s time here we have tried to make her stay as enjoyable as possible. As she is currently our oldest Casa Jackson patient, we looked into ways to keep her occupied and interested. María has started attending our Clases de Reforzamiento in our Centro Soñador, working with our teachers to learn letters, numbers, colours and other useful skills to prepare her for next year when she will start at school.

Whilst her sister was able to go home after 1 month and 24 days, María’s needs are much more complex and she is still currently a patient, having been with us for 5 months and 12 days. After María was examined by our paediatricians we decided that it was necessary to do some further tests. We were able to diagnose María with Marfan Syndrome, something that affects between 1 in 5000 and 1 in 10,000 children. Marfan Syndrome affects connective tissue and those with the condition are generally taller and thinner. It can also cause complications and problems with vision and the cardiovascular system.

In María’s case, both her eyesight and her heart have complications that need intervention. Her eyesight is extremely poor and so we had to order and buy special glasses from Spain to match her prescription. María was delighted to receive her new glasses, having chosen the design and colour herself, and proudly shows them off to the new volunteers who arrive at Casa Jackson.

María’s heart also has complications. Our paediatricians are extremely worried that María could have an aortic aneurysm or aortic dissection in the future, something that could be fatal. We have investigated the possibility of heart surgery for María to prevent this from happening. Normally, doctors wait until children are 8 years old to perform the surgery, but our paediatricians and consulting doctors have told us that María’s need is a lot more urgent. If you would like to donate to potentially help María receive heart surgery in the future, please click the link below.

María is almost ready to go home with her family, but we will not stop supporting her. Our Padrinos department has already made the hour-long drive to visit María’s family and discuss plans for next year where we would like to see María enrolled in school. We have also set the groundwork for future medical interventions for when María needs an operation on her heart.

The GOD’S CHILD Project has been working for 30 years to break the chains of poverty through education, housing, nutrition and healthcare. Please click the link below to donate to support us in our ongoing mission.

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Jul 13, 2022
April

By Robbie Middleton | Padrinos Department

April has been with us in Casa Jackson for almost 4 months now with her mother, Natalie. She arrived in March 2022 moderately malnourished and in need of our support.

April lives in San Felipe de Jesús, not far from Casa Jackson, with her mother, uncle, aunt and grandparents. Their house is made of cement blocks and sheet metal with a sheet metal roof. It consists of a bedroom and a kitchen and the family has two beds between them, meaning that Avril shares with her mother and aunt. The family has a small tabletop stove but often has to use firewood to cook when they run out of gas.

The first month at Casa Jackson was very difficult for April as she adjusted to a healthy and nutritional diet. In fact, it took almost the whole month for April to gain any weight at all as her body became accustomed to healthier food. Once she had adjusted, however, April started to gain weight a lot faster and has now gained 2 lbs. 14 oz. which is a further 17% of her initial weight. She is now at a normal weight for her age and size and is almost ready to go home.

We have been so happy to see the progress that April has made at Casa Jackson, not only in her weight gain but also developmentally. April is starting to talk and is learning how to play and interact with other children. April is also very caring and empathetic, and often comforts other children with a hug when they are crying.

One of the reasons that April is still staying at Casa Jackson for a bit longer is because of her mother. April’s mother was actually known to the Project before April arrived at Casa Jackson, as she was previously one of our students in our Scheel Center (now Vista Hermosa Center) School. April’s father is not a part of her life and does not support her in any way and her mother does not currently work or study and so April’s grandfather was the one who supported the family. April’s mother wants to change this, however, and is looking to leave the house she is living in and to find herself a job to support April and herself. We are looking into the possibility of offering Natalie a job at Casa Jackson, where she feels comfortable and happy, so that we can continue to support her and April moving forward.

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Mar 16, 2022
Darlyn

By Robbie Middleton | Padrinos Department

This is 2-year-old Darlyn , who is currently our longest-serving baby-patient in Casa Jackson, having arrived over 6 months ago in September 2021.

Not much is known about Darlyn’s life before her arrival at Casa Jackson as her case is a PGN (Guatemalan Social Services) case. She arrived at Casa Jackson at 10 pm with hardly any prior notice and was not accompanied by any family member.

We have been able to find out some information of Darlyn through discussions with law enforcement who have been handling Darlyn’s case. We know that Darlyn was born in Quetzaltenango but was referred to us by the PGN in Escuintla. We also know that Darlyn’s mother is currently 17 years old and was 14 when she became pregnant with Darlyn. She is also known to have been in trouble with the law after Darlyn’s birth and has spent time in prison due to gang-related activities. Darlyn’s grandmother was taking care of her when she was removed by the PGN and was accused of mistreating her.

Darlyn is a very intelligent little girl. She is able to understand and communicate with the nurses and staff members. When she first arrived, she was reluctant to be in contact with anyone at all and was very upset for long periods of time. As she has recovered from her malnutrition, however, she has become much happier and more comfortable in Casa Jackson.

When she arrived at Casa Jackson, Darlyn had obvious signs of trauma from her previous life. She found it very difficult to be in contact with adults and did not like to be held. She also did not know how to play and interact with other children appropriately either. On one occasion she pretended to shoot a staff member, something that she had witnessed in her previous life.

Now, however, Darlyn is a completely different child. She is much more confident and happy, and has made great strides in her development. She has gained 2 lbs. 8 oz. or 16% of her initial weight, as well as growing 3 cm taller. She has also started to speak and can explain what she wants to our staff. Darlyn loves to dance and sing, and has become much better at playing with the other children. She has learnt to share and wait her turn as well. We are so proud of the progress that Darlyn has made, and can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next.

The GOD’S CHILD Project has been working for 30 years to break the chains of poverty through education, housing and healthcare. Please click the link below to donate to support us in our ongoing mission.

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