Urgent Need for Formula in Ethiopia

More and more babies are coming into our adoption agency's transitional home (where our Micah stayed for 5 months while we waited to pick him up) severely malnourished, fighting for survival. At least 4 infants are there now that are on feeding tubes. We saw a baby girl that was literally skin and bones while we were there. We learned she is gaining weight now on Nutramigen and thriving! She is 3-4 months old and 6.5 pounds (this after gaining 2.5 pounds since March). She will hopefully soon be home to her forever family! Many more babies like her are coming to the transitional home that our agency operates for children who are waiting for their mommies and daddies to come take them home. Keeping them healthy and even getting them healthy enough to be referred (matched to a family) is becoming more difficult with the resources (or lack of) in Ethiopia regarding formula and nutrition.

Our Micah arrived at 3 months old, 7.9 pounds. Compared to other babies, he was "healthy" and much more plump. He didn't even make the growth charts in America but was leaps and bounds ahead of other babies in his nursery. Here is a "healthy" update Picture of him from February, weighing 10.0 pounds at 5 months old. In America you would never see a baby's ribs.


Tom Davis, author and advocate for orphans - of Children's HopeChest, is spearheading a formula drive for the babies specifically that are brought to AWAA's transition home. Specifically, he is working to get pre-digested hypoallergenic formula to Africa where nothing like it can be purchased. $30 can by and ship one can of Nutramagen (Alimentum is the Similac equivalent of this Enfamil formula). Read our AWAA family coordinator's perspective here. Micah had to take this formula for the first two weeks upon arriving home, due to damage to his GI tract from his prolonged diarrhea. Almost all the infants battle bacteria, parasites, and thus diarrhea. It is a formula that can give their GI tracts a rest so they may put more energy to fighting the foreign invaders (bacteria, parasites, etc). I speak so passionately because I saw my baby boy almost die from a simple bacteria that invaded his GI tract. Granted, he needed more than formula. He needed IV fluids and IV antibiotics, but the formula helped him absorb nutrients to gain weight and strength to fight off the bacteria in his body. If you or anyone you know want to help out orphans in Africa, or are just interested in this effort or want to pass on the info to others you know, please visit here to read a story about another baby boy named Micah Martin, whom we met in Ethiopia with his forever parents. They were on their way home to America, and we were just arriving, to pick up our Micah Richardson

Here is our Micah now, after gaining 2 pounds in the first three weeks of being home. (notice the lack of visible ribs! I praise God that we have access and the resources for superior nutrition for Micah)