A Heartfelt Thanks from Baby H’s Grandmother
With our Milk Program, we help mothers who are either too sick or too malnourished to produce milk as well as newborn babies who have lost their mothers and are now cared for by other family members.
Baby H was brought to our Milk Program by his grandmother when he was 20-days old. His mother is mentally ill and has been refusing treatment for years. She hadn't breastfed Baby H, and is unable to care for him, her other two children, or even herself. Because their father also abandoned them, Baby H’s grandmother has taken it upon herself to care for Baby H, his mother, and his two other siblings. The hospital only provided two weeks’ worth of formula and because his grandmother is a widow and can’t work, she is unable to afford the expensive formula.
Although slightly underweight, Baby H was a happy, healthy baby, and well cared for by his grandmother. They came to see us at the Milk Program every two weeks for weight, assessment, teaching, and milk formula. At six months old, Baby H stopped gaining weight despite receiving formula. We determined he didn’t like eating regular food, which is introduced at 6 months of age to supplement their formula diet. Our nurses continually instructed and encouraged his grandmother on how to prepare and entice him with different types of food. He slowly started eating regular food while still receiving formula and resumed gaining weight. By the time Baby H was one year old he graduated from our Milk Program was on track to have a healthy and bright future! We received a hand-written letter of gratitude from grandmother, which has been translated below:
“Hi!
First of all, cheers and bless you all! I want to thank everyone who directly and indirectly was a part of accepting my request to be in the Milk Program. I don’t know where we would be if it weren’t for your help. The boy [Baby H] needed help with food aid and you lent me a hand, providing the milk the boy needed for his development as a newborn. Now he can eat what we eat at home.
I sincerely thank you, and I ask that you continue to help the people who seek your assistance in the Milk Program. All in all, my thanks comes from the bottom of my heart. I will keep what I learned from your kindness forever.
May God bless you and shine on you always.”
Thank you to all of our sponsors for being a part of providing life-saving milk to babies around the world and demonstrating the compassion and love of Jesus to families during one of the most challenging and vulnerable seasons of life. Although you may never meet these little ones in this lifetime, you are making an eternal impact in their lives!
