New Admission at IGF
16 month old Baby Lamunu, weighing only 4kg
Lamunu Liberty is the newest admission into the IGF Children’s Medical Centre. At 16 months old she weighs only 4kg. Suffering from severe malnutrition and anaemia, she is the weight of a new born baby. At 16 months, she should be weighing up to 11kg.
Lamunu was brought to IGF together with her mother, after the IGF Social Worker was doing a home visit in a village about 30km from Kitgum. While visiting the family of another child associated with IGF, he came across this baby with her brother and very pregnant mother. The condition of Lamunu was so severe that she was brought immediately with her mother and brother to IGF. She was transferred to the Kitgum Government Hospital for treatment. A week later she is back at IGF and has started on the nutritional feeding program.
It is only by the grace of God that Lamunu was discovered that day and brought to IGF. If the Social Worker had not travelled out to the village to visit another family, she would most probably have died in the village.
Lamunu has come to IGF severely malnourished. The question always comes to mind of how can a child get to that condition? In our world of excess and easy access to medical care, it is sometimes hard to imagine that children continue to die in these circumstances. Malnutrition could be attributed to a combination of factors, including lack of food at home, insufficient breast milk, poor family planning and inadequate spacing between pregnancies.
Lamunu’s mother is currently 8 months pregnant, a single mother barely surviving in a village 30km away from Kitgum. She had taken her daughter to other clinics and hospitals before, but was always soon sent back to the village where her condition worsened. Unsurprisingly, Lamunu’s mother had basically given up on seeking help for her. Part of the plan for the new Maternal Health Hospital project is to increase the outreach into surrounding villages, provide education to nurses and equip village clinics, as well as identify at-risk infants who require intervention.
Lamunu has started on the nutritional feeding program. She is fed powdered milk, and will be introduced onto solid foods under the supervision and guidance of the doctors and nutritionists. She will remain at IGF with her mother until she is healthy and walking. As her mother is soon to give birth, additional care will also be sought for her. As part of the holistic care at IGF, Lamunu’s mother is also receiving counselling, and will continue to receive counselling after her next baby is born.
We continue to pray and hope that Lamunu’s condition improves. At 4kg, her body is still very weak and vulnerable. It is only through the support of donors like you that IGF can rescue these infants and provide them with an opportunity at life. If you would like to support the nutritional feeding program at IGF, which includes buying milk powder, bananas, eggs and other nutritious food for malnourished infants and children, please support by donating here.
