Many of the Casa Jackson children are not pictured on this list since they were with us for a few weeks or less.
Eliseo
D.O.B. April 6, 2008
Eliseo was
born to a poor family. He lived with his grandparents in a house with dirt
floors and no drinkable water. Because
Eliseo's family could not afford to provide sufficient food and he was unable
to drink his mother's breast milk, he became quite malnourished. At the age of
a year and a half, Eliseo entered our program on October 26, 2009, weighing
14lb 8oz (5.6 kg). He grew to a weight of 17 lbs by the time he left the Casa on December 17, 2009.
Rosa Amelia
Before
After
D.O.B. October 9, 2009
Rosa Amelia Lopez arrived at the Casa Jackson on November 10, 2009 her age is unknown for sure and estimated at 1 month at her arrival to the Casa. Weighing 8 lb (3.6 kg), she was on temporary placement because Social Services was unable to find her family. She left for Casa Amor Del Nino to await a decision from a judge on December 9, 2009. She weighed 9 lbs (4 kg) at this time.
Jose Manuel
D.O.B. March 17, 2009
Jose Manuel Hernandez Solis arrived at the Casa on October 20, 2009 at seven months old. He had previously been at Casa Alegria
because his parents are alchoholics and Social Services terminated their
custody of Jose. He was then sent to the
Casa Jackson to get the nutritional help that he needed at his weight of 10 lb
(4.5 kg). He left on December 9, 2009 to
go to Casa Amor Del Nino (a children's home) to await the decision of a judge.
Maria de Jesus
D.O.B. Unknown
Maria de Jesus Saravia Cumatzil entered the Casa Jackson on November 10, 2009 weighing 17 lb (7.7 kg). Her age is unknown but is estimated to be about 2 years. She wasn't severely malnourished, but she came to the Casa because nothing was known about her family. Social Services took her to the Angelina Home on December 11, 2009, at a weight of 19 lbs (8.6 kg), to wait a decision from a judge.
Ileana
D.O.B. October 29, 2009
Ileana Mishel Boror
Lopez came to the Casa Jackson weighing a mere 8 lb (3.6
kg). The doctor at the National Hospital
at Chimaltenango estimated that she was three months old when she arrived. She had been brought to the hospital by
Social Services. She showed signs of
fetal alchohol syndrome and mild acute malnutrition. Because the mother's whereabouts are unknown, Ileana left the Casa Jackson on December 9, 2009
with a healthy state of nutrition, but still weighing only 10 lb (4.5 kg). She went to the Casa Amor Del Nino (a children's
home) to await the decision of a judge.
Lesly
D.O.B. March 20, 2009
Lesly arrived at the Casa Jackson on September 17, 2009 weighing 11 lbs (5 kg). Lesly's mother was single and had many other children, therefore she was unable to care for Lesly. Lesly's uncle adopted her 15 days after she was born. The family was very poor and was feeding her regular milk for adults. Her body was unable to absorb this properly leading to her malnourishment. She left on November 30, 2009 weighing 14 lb (6 kg) and her family was taught how to properly feed her.
Dafne
Before
After
D.O.B. October 3, 2008
Dafne was mandated to come into our care by a local hospital due to malnutrition weighing 13 lbs (6 kg). She entered the program on September 7, 2009 at 11 months old. Her mother is 16 years old and had to be hospitalized due to pnemeunia, along with Dafne. Upon release, Dafne came directly into our care. Since the mother has never had a job before, the Casa Jackson team is working with her to help her find a way to contribute to her household. She returned to her family on December 17, 2009 weighing 18 lbs (8.2 kg).
Kristel
D.O.B. November 21, 2007
Kristel lives in a small house with her mother, father, grandmother, her aunt, and her cousin Dafne. Kristel was discovered when the Casa Jackson team was bringing Dafne's mother home from the hospital. She and her cousin are now residing at the Casa Jackson while they are being nurished to a healthy state. Kristel arrived weighing 17lbs (8 kg). When she reached a healthier weight of 22 lb (10 kg), she was discharged to her family on October 30, 2009.
Jose Eduardo
Before
After
D.O.B. April 1, 2008
Jose's family is very poor, especially since his father got laid off at his job at a print shop. Jose's older brother is trying to support his large family the best he can. Jose came to the Casa Jackson after two previous hospital stays. Both times he had been taken out of the hospitals because he was not improving or gaining any weight. He arrived on July 29, 2009 weighing 9 lbs (4 kg) he left the Casa on December 9, 2009 weighing 12 lbs (5.4 kg).
Esvin
Before: Esvin's contagious skin rash
D.O.B. June 27, 2001
Esvin arrived at the Casa Jackson on September 21, 2009.After years of physical abuse from her husband, Esvin's mother took him and his younger sister away.She went and lived with her sister and started working.After four years her husband came and asked to see Esvin for the weekend and they went missing for 6 months.The authorities managed to take Esvin out of his father's care and get him to a hospital.2 days later he entered the Casa Jackson.Esvin has a neurological disorder that has not been diagnosed yet and arrived with an infectious skin disorder. He weighed 19 lbs (8.6 kg) upon entering. Esvin left the Casa Jackson to return to his mother on December 16, 2009 weighing 26 lb (12 kg) and having healthy skin.
Selvin
D.O.B. March 16, 2005
Selvin is a 4 year old boy with
microcephaly, a neurodevelopmental disorder that causes underdevelopment of his
brain and body. This physical disorder
makes it difficult for him to eat solid food and so he entered severely
malnourished weighing 20lbs or 8.91kg on arrival. He was brought into Casa Jackson on July 13,
2009 by his mother who happened to pass by the project and saw the sign on the
wall. She was desperate for help as she is struggling as a poor single mother
trying to care for her youngest son and two older children, 11 and 6 years old. The children's father is not around to pay
child support on a regular basis and so with Selvin's special needs, his mother
cannot work full time which has lead the family into poverty. He left the Casa Jackson at the request of his
mother and against the doctor's recommendation on September 25, 2009.
The Lopez Eugenia Siblings
Neidi
D.O.B. December 28, 1999
Neidi is the oldest sibling and since she is deaf, she never learned to talk. Neidi and her sister came to Casa Jackson on August 8, 2009 weighing 41 lb (18 kg). Because of her inability to hear, her mother never taught her or her three younger siblings to speak. The four of them have developed their own personal sign language that they use to communicate. Neidi likes to mother her siblings in her vigilant watch over them. Their father, who is addicted to alcohol and drugs, abandoned the family. The children live with their mother, a fifth sibling, and aunts, cousins, and their grandmother in a small one bedroom house. A total of 30 people live in this house with no running water and a dirt floor, where the mother and her five kids all share one bed. Neidi left the Casa Jackson on September 16, 2009 weighing 47 lb (21 kg). She returned home with her mother and one of her brothers.
Jessica
D.O.B. November 11, 2001
Jessica has never learned to walk and we think she may not be able to speak. Due to her malnourished state, she was put on an i.v. and therefore has had to stay in her crib. She entered Casa Jackson on August 8, 2009 weighing just 31 pounds.
Antoni
D.O.B. August 6, 2003
Antoni entered the Casa Jackson at the age of six. He was previously hospitalized when he was 18 months. Antoni is the leader of the siblings and tries to communicate their sign language to the staff at Casa Jackson. He goes in between his sister who can't walk, his deaf sister, and his brother with tuberculosis to keep all the siblings informed of the others' status. He arrived on August 5, 2009 weighing 32 pounds. When he left on September 21, 2009 he weighed 36 pounds.
Jostin
D.O.B. July 20, 2005
Jostin is the youngest of the siblings and was diagnosed with Tuberculosis and is therefore in an isolated room, as to not endanger the other children. He arrived weighing a mere 22 lb (10 kg) on August 12, 2009. After he was clear of Tuberculosis he was taken out of isolation and put with the rest of his siblings. Jostin left the Casa Jackson on September 16, 2009 weighing 27 lb (12 kg).
Neidi and Josten leaving with their mother
Antoni the day he was leaving.
Carlos
Before
After
D.O.B. December 10, 2007
Carlos' neighbors reported him to Social Services. He came to Casa
Jackson weighing 14 pounds on July 29, 2009. He had been abandoned by
his family and left in his house. He is now in the institution due to
neglect. For the first week he was here, virtually nothing was known
about him, including his name, after further investigation his name and
some history was discovered. Since entering the Casa Jackson, he has been rapidly improving under the care and love of the volunteers. Carlos is a bundle of energy and is full of life.
Carlos left the Casa Jackson on September 16 weighing 18.5 pounds. He joined his brother at a Children's Home in Guatemala.
Roque
Before
After
D.O.B. August 16, 2005
Roque came to Casa Jackson on July 9,
2009 weighing 9.49 kg (23 lbs) at the age of almost 4. His mother
passed away
while Roque was one year old, leaving his father to raise him and his
older
sisters. Roque's father works in the field during the day, leaving
Roque in the
care of his sisters. Roque was living with his sister and her husband
who were intentionally starving him to use him as a begging prop to get
money, unbeknownst to his father. Roque left the Casa Jackson on
September 11, 2009 to return home with his father.
Maria
Before
After
D.O.B.January 10, 2008
Casa Jackson staff found Maria while out in
the field looking for malnourished children. Finding Maria weighing 5.45 kg (12
lbs) at the age of 18 months she was very malnourished and immediately taken, with
her parents consent, to the hospital on July 9, 2009. Maria returned home on September 10, 2009.
Elmer
D.O.B. March 25, 2009
Elmer Orlando was admitted to Casa Jackson
on July 15, 2009, weighing 3.52 kg (9 lbs) at 3.5 months.His malnutrition is caused by poverty and
poor hygiene at home. He is the youngest of 4 children, his older siblings
being 8, 5 and 3 years old.Alcoholism
runs prevalent in Elmer's family and his mother is currently the sole provider,
trying to get her family out of severe debt.So far, the mom has not been able to leave this situation as she is
dependent upon her mother-in-law for whom she works baking tortillas making 10 Q
(about $1.25) per day. A healthier Orlando we went home with his mother on September 11, 2009 weighing 6.61 kg (13.56 lbs).
Before
Christopher
D.O.B. April 15, 2009
Christopher was admitted to Casa Jackson on
June 29, 2009 due to severe malnutrition weighing 7.81 lbs or 3.55
kg at 2.5 months.Christopher's father
left his mother while she was pregnant and being a 20 year old single mom, her
poor financial situation and lack of family support and knowledge lead to her
not producing enough milk and therefore Christopher being malnourished.Because she lives far away, Christopher's
mother is currently living at Casa Jackson.Here she receives food, support and education about nutrition and
Christopher is growing steadily.Both of
them as a family will get additional support and care from Casa Jackson after
they'll return home. Christopher and his mother left the Casa Jackson on August 14, 2009.
Rolando
Rolando's big smile and chubby cheeks make him one of the cutest babies alive. In his first nine months he had a difficult life as his family of seven lived in a two room shack made out of aluminum sheets. His parents worked hard to feed their family, but on the seasonal salaries from his father's farming and his mother's pea harvesting, it wasn't enough. After losing one child to a severe case of malnutrition, Rolando's parents decided to do something about their baby's future. When the ANA staff came to visit the house, they were not surprised to find that all of the family's food was prepared and eaten on the dirt floor, a common sight in impoverished homes. Rolando's difficulty to thrive was obvious; they decided to get this struggling baby into a more suitable living situation. Once in Casa Jackson, Rolando improved rapidly becoming healthy and strong in the arms of loving volunteers and nurses. In order to continue the progress of this infant, the ANA staff knew his home must be improved before returning, prompting a team of volunteers to build a new house for the family a week before his homecoming. Upon his arrival home, nurses and volunteers alike were pleased to know that he was returning to a new and improved living situation that would help rather then hurt his health. In addition to new housing, the family has access to the Friday afternoon vegetable bank at La Asociacion Nuestros Ahijados, a newly installed hydroponic gardening system providing homegrown vegetables, and a plan to enroll the children in school and set them up with individual sponsors. Thanks to the generous support and direction of staff and volunteers at ANA, Rolando is now a happy healthy baby with a bright future, who left the Casa Jackson in March of 2009.
Rolando smiles for the camera
Edvin and German volunteer Kerstin pause for a photo
Edvin
His house contains one
room, two beds, and five children, yet to Edvin this is normal. At one year and
eight months, all he knew were the faces of his family, the dirt floor of his
house, and the pain of chronic malnutrition. It wasn't that his parents didn't
care, but in reality they didn't have the money to sustain seven healthy
bodies. With a father who works at the garbage dump collecting recyclables, and
a mother who is only occasionally employed, money is hard to come by. When
Edvin and his younger brother Oscar stopped growing, their parents knew that
outside help was needed. After the admission of the boys into Casa Jackson, ANA
worked to improve the environment that they would return to through encouraging
the admittance of the two older children to public school, helping them start a
hydroponic gardening system, and showing them how to raise chickens through
ANA's Pollo Project. Almost two months later, on February 5, 2009, the
two boys were given the okay to return home to their family. Edvin was a
changed infant; no longer was he in constant tears but rather his mood was
transformed and he began talking, walking, smiling, and running everywhere.
Oscar was a fat baby by this time, smiley and wide-eyed, ready to be returned
to the loving arms of his family. The steady diet and care given to Edvin and
Oscar, caused a great improvement in the overall living conditions of the boys.
Today they are happy, healthy, and normal, looking towards a future with hope.
