Beginning the BattleSeptember Admits
September seems to have flown by, we kept busy at Middle Ground admitting 8 little ones to begin their fight against severe malnutrition. We are continuing to see the number of children seeking treatment at Middle Ground increase as the effects of recents storms and ongoing astronomical food prices continue to take their toll on the population.
On September 7th a 4.5 year old little boy was admitted for treatment. We have chosen not to share any other details of this patient. Please pray for little boy “E” and his caregiver.
On September 10th we admitted 3 children from the same village several hours away from our headquarters. These children were brought by their pastor to one of our local partner clinics along with several other children. The doctors there decided that these 3 were in the worst shape of the group and that they would require inpatient care in order to recover safely.
The first was 20 month old baby boy “R” who was suffering from kwashiorkor malnutrition. Upon admission R weighed 16lbs. He started treatment with F75 milk before graduating to medika mamba. R’s Papa, Marc is staying by his bedside and learning a lot of new ways to care for his son.
Also in the group of 3 was 2.5 year old “J”. J was also suffering from kwashiorkor and had swelling that reached all the way to his face. He weighed 18lbs 10oz upon admission. J spent several days on F75 treatment before he was stable enough for medika mamba. J’s mama, Exumene is staying with him. We are praying that this time at Middle Ground will encourage Exumene and give her the confidence and resources that she needs to be a strong leader for her family.
Finally, along with 2 little boys came a precious little girl, “B”. B was very sick with marasmus as well as a serious respiratory infection and spent several days in our high care area before she was stable. B began her treatment on F75 milk weighing 24lbs 8oz. Today she is blowing us all away weighing an impressive 27lbs. B’s grandma Elyes, who is her primary caretaker, is staying with her at Middle Ground. Please pray for B and her grandma as they navigate B’s recovery as well as learning more about what the future looks like for this very special little lady.
On September 11th we admitted 23 month old “R”. R was referred to Middle Ground by her uncle, who is currently staying with his own daughter as she finishes her treatment. During his time at Middle Ground he learned so much about recognizing malnutrition that he knew his niece was sick and encouraged his sister to bring her for a consultation. When they arrived our medical staff found that R was critically ill. She was rushed into a bed and began treatment with F75 milk. We were incredibly thankful for the recent donation of a feeding pump, which allowed our nurses to administer slow carefully controlled feeds during the first few days of her treatment when she was especially fragile. R responded well to her treatment and was able to graduate from F75 to mamba. R’s mama “D” is staying with her at Middle Ground where she is also receiving treatment for malnutrition alongside her daughter.
On the 14th of September 20 month old F” was brought to Middle Ground by her mother Florence, they had been referred to us by a mobile clinic in their village. On the day she was admitted F weighed 18lbs 12oz and was swollen with kwashiorkor. F responded well to F75 and lost her edema, at her lowest weight she was 16lbs 14oz, but she has steadily been gaining healthy mass and now weighs 17lbs 10oz. We are very encouraged at the progress of “F” in just the short time she has been in our program.
On September 15th 25 month old “F” was admitted into our inpatient program. He was brought to us by his mother, who had twins who were treated in our inpatient program in 2017. Unfortunately they did not follow up with us after discharge and we hadn’t heard from them in over 2 years. When F arrived he was very sick. Early the next morning our doctor made the decision that F needed more care than we could provide, and he was transported to a local hospital, unfortunately 4 days later baby F passed away. We have been in contact with F’s mother and are working on a plan with her to reestablish contact and explore what the most pressing needs for this family are.
Finally, on September 16th we admitted 9 month old “J”. J presented with severe marasmus, weighing less than 11lbs. J’s grandmother is his primary caretaker and she is staying with him at Middle Ground. J began his treatment with F75 before graduating to Medika Mamba and infant formula.
Will you pray with me for these 8 precious caregivers and their little ones. Pray for strength and healing for little bodies, and peace and comfort in the hearts of those who are deep in the pit of hurt and grief today. Please specifically remember the family of baby F as they mourn the loss of their sweet son.
