When Ynelson arrived at Middle Ground on March 28, 2017, it was easy to see that his family was discouraged. They had been searching for treatment for Ynelson for almost 2 years, but every hospital they took him to said they couldn’t help. At 4 years old, Ynelson weighed just 20lbs and his arm circumference was a tiny 95mm – he was suffering from extreme malnutrition. Yet we knew that we could treat Ynelson with Medika Mamba and had confidence that he would recover.
Ynelson was admitted into our inpatient program and quickly began to get well. His mother Nathalie also stayed with us and was able to take advantage of our mental health support while in our care. When they first arrived, Nathalie was timid and very unsure of herself. Yet as Ynelson began to heal, we watched a new life spark in Nathalie too. She began to soak in the education that our staff provided and became her son’s biggest advocate. Nathalie learned all about what caused Ynelson – and many of the other kids in her neighborhood – to be so small and sick, and she began to share that knowledge with everyone around her. To date Nathalie has referred almost a dozen children suffering from severe malnutrition to the Middle Ground recovery center.
On May 17, eight weeks after they first arrived at Middle Ground, Ynelson and Nathalie were ready to be discharged. Ynelson had gained 9lbs and was healthy and ready to go home! Thankfully, we didn’t have to say goodbye for long, because just a few weeks later, Nathalie returned to Middle Ground to take part in our small business training program. Once again, she soaked in every bit of information offered to her and absolutely thrived. Her post-class exam blew us all away and it was clear that she would be successful in her business, and that she would soon be providing for all of her family’s needs.
Nathalie began her business selling cleaning and laundry supplies, and just as we predicted, she has done incredibly well. In June of 2018, Nathalie made her final payment on her business loan! Her future plans include a advanced class and a second loan, allowing her to expand her business.
Ynelson and Nathalie are what Middle Ground is all about. From sick and worn-down to thriving and fulfilled, watching their transformation was awe inspiring!
