Olivia will be 5 years old in January. She weighs 27 pounds (average weight for a 5 year old girl is 40 pounds). She lives in Nueva Vida with her mother and her two siblings.
Her mother buys and resells farmer’s cheese. Most of the Nicaraguans who live in poverty do so because they are not formally employed… they do not receive a minimum wage, insurance or any retirement benefits. They survive by only making a little each day; therefore Olivia is severely malnourished.
She is losing her hair and has many of the symptoms related to lack of calories, protein, vitamins, and minerals.
Oliva is also microcephalic, or has a tiny brain. She has a lumbar deviation… all from Mama not getting enough folic acid during her pregnancy.
Our clinic supports Olivia through primary care and children’s vitamins and iron, but she needs more.
We also support pregnant women with vitamins, check-ups, ultrasounds, and a new mother’s group to lend aid to these mothers-to-be and mothers of infants. This season, give a gift that will help us help Olivia and others like her, who suffer from poverty and hunger.
-Kathleen
