Adys and Johny held their tiny newborn in their arms. Like any young parents, they were overjoyed as they marveled at their first child, counting his tiny toes and tiny fingers.
Although they lived a sparse life in Guatemala, Adys and Johny were determined to provide the best life they could for the little boy they named Josafat.
Johny found work at a local farm. He worked long hours under the blazing sun, but the work was seasonal and the money he made was hardly enough to meet his growing family’s needs. Recovering from childbirth, Adys stayed home to care for their son.
But the young parents were faced with yet another problem. Even before Josafat was born, Adys and Johny were experiencing the extreme levels of hunger that often come with poverty. Now, the lack of healthy meals was impacting their newborn.
Josafat was starving
At just over 1 month old, Josafat should have been gaining weight. Instead, he weighed just 6 pounds, a number that was continuing to decline. Adys struggled to breastfeed her son since she was undernourished herself, and he was left without the nutrition he needed to grow and develop.
The young mother watched in agony as her baby’s face constantly contorted in cries of pain. Josafat’s cheeks were sunken in, and his frame revealed every rib, every bone. His skinny legs looked like they would never be able to hold any weight.
Despite his parents’ best efforts, poverty had condemned Josafat to death. Like many children around the world, Josafat would never live to see his first birthday if someone didn’t intervene. He would never learn to speak, never play, and never go to school.
But thankfully, his story doesn’t end there.
Someone’s generosity saved his life
Because of the compassionate gifts of others, Josafat was rescued just in time.
He and his mother were taken to the Rescue Center in Guatemala where they finally received the care they needed. Over the next month, doctors and nurses worked hard to stabilize Josafat’s young body, giving him the nutrients he needed to combat the effects of starvation.
Slowly, the tiny boy began to gain weight. When he returned home, Josafat was on his way to a full recovery. Every month, he and his parents make the trek back to the center, where he continues to receive medical checkups and nutritional care.
Josafat wasn’t the only one rescued that day.
When you rescue a starving child, you do more than just help save a life — you come alongside a family in desperate need of physical help and hope for the future. Because of your gift, children living in poverty will have the medical and nutritional help they need to survive.