Children in the Philippines who live in extreme poverty lack access to quality healthcare. They are often denied assistance and are unable to afford necessities to improve their quality of life.
URGENT!!!
Meet Eliaszar.
Eliaszar was born in September 2020. Doctors found he was born with esophageal atresia (Esophageal atresia is a birth defect in which part of a baby's esophagus (the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach) does not develop properly). This made him unable to eat because everything he swallowed would not enter the stomach. He underwent a repair of the esophageal atresia at 3 days old and was discharged after a month.
He seemed to be doing fine but a few months later, his mother noted poor weight gain and coughing during feeding. Investigations showed narrowing of the mid-esphagus. Endoscopic dilation was attempted but unsuccessful.
Eliaszar's situation is now urgent as he has been unable to eat anything by mouth for 5 days. The opening in his esophagus is only "pinpoint" size.
He needs to have a gastrostomy tube inserted immediately. Then his nutritional status needs to be improved significantly for the more complex surgery of repairing the esophagus strictures. He is only 4.5 kg (9.9 pounds) when his ideal weight is 7 kg (15 pounds).
He is already hospitalized so survey will happen quickly. Little Eliaszar needs your help urgently!
Maya's Hope celebrates 10 years of giving hope to children in need. Maya's Hope is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit based in New York City.