The reason for our infant feeding program.
5/4/2009    permalink   tell a friend

This is a message from Jody from COTA below.   ...  Baby Alfredo and babies like him are the  reason that we have the formula for babies.  We did not realize when we started how desperate the need for formula was for babies with cleft palates.   Unfortunately, help came too late for Baby Alfredo but we hope that with more formula we will be able to reach more babies and prevent this tragedy from happening to other families. Sharon

Dear All,
When our team was in Quiche, our clinic physicians and plastic surgeons evaluated a cleft baby for a potential surgical repair. Little Alfredo was, at only 11 pounds, too small and frail for surgical correction. We sent his mother home with four cans of donated formula and some baby supplies.
After the team the COTA stateside program looked through almost a thousand clinic forms to find the children or adult patients who needed follow-up, or needed to be considered for the 2010 team. Baby Alfredo's form was one that was selected. Cindy Hsieh was the COTA translator who communicated with Petronila, the baby's mother. Cindy, Aida and Mayan Families staff person Patti (who came and helped on our Quiche team) followed this baby through 2 hospitalizations for pneumonia and diarrhea. Aida assisted the mother with ten more cans of donated COTA formula and Mayan Families placed Alfredo on their infant feeding program. The ten dollars in transport fees for the mother to obtain the cans of formula was donated by COTA. E-mails and phone calls went back and forth as Alfredo's file grew larger.
Sadly, baby Alfredo passed away yesterday. His death illustrates the difficulty many cleft mother's have with nutritional issues, and is a reminder of why our work is so important.
Thanks to all who were advocates for this baby. I know his mother appreciated the support and care shown to her in the last few months of her struggle