This is a story about a 3 month old baby called Joseph. Sadly, he was abandoned by his mother and father and now his 70-year-old grandmother cares for him: there is no one else to help.
Due to a very small income, Joseph’s elderly grandmother struggled to provide nutritional requirements for her grandson’s needs. In the absence of his mother’s breast milk, processed milk for babies is what Joseph needs to grow big and strong. However, baby Joseph has been fed unprocessed cow’s milk: it’s the best that his grandmother can do for him. Unfortunately, this difficult situation caused him to become malnourished and suffer from diarrhoea.
Joseph was severely malnourished and needed treatment fast
Joseph’s grandmother went to Ekwendeni Hospital, Malawi and Joseph was diagnosed with acute gastral enteritis with dehydration and malnutrition. Baby Joseph was treated with medical products donated by Inter Care, i.e. intravenous fluids, intravenous antibiotics. The nurse also provided limited processed milk for infants as part of his treatment. Consequently, with the care of the hospital’s dedicated staff team, baby Joseph made a good recovery.
Grandmother said ’without this treatment my grandson would have died’
Joseph’s grandmother was not wrong. Joseph was saved. Yet, baby Joseph is not the only person to receive help: he is one of many local community members who have benefitted—and with your support continue to benefit—from vital medical supplies donated to Ekwendeni Mission Hospital. Inter Care supplement and support the hospital’s work, who in turn help those who cannot afford to pay for their treatment and medicines.
“The grandmother returned home with a smile of healthy recovery of her grandson”
– Dr Stanley Ndhlovu, Ekwendeni Hospital