Saved in South Sudan
Nyajime Guet in South Sudan, slowly recovering from severe acute malnutrition, gets a fresh chance at life.
Four-year-old Nyajime Guet was admitted to the UNICEF-supported clinic at the Protection of Civilians site in Juba, South Sudan on 12 October, suffering from severe acute malnutrition with medical complications.
Incredibly emaciated and near death when she arrived, she was immediately referred to the emergency ward for in-patient treatment. Too weak to sit up, Nyajime is carefully supported by her father, Michael Wieu, who has stayed by his daughter’s bedside throughout.
Nyajime is doing better. On the third day of treatment she is finally sitting up. To everyone’s pleasant surprise, she musters a small and very contagious smile. “The day when I brought her to the clinic she wasn’t moving, she couldn’t walk or sit,” Mr. Wieu says.
It’s day eight and Nyajime is back on her feet — shaky and weak, but standing. She is weighed to make sure that her recovery is going well and that her weight gain is steady. The medical staff monitors her progress closely each day to ensure that there is no relapse.
Day 11, and Nyajime is steadily growing stronger. The doctor — and her father — are carefully checking her progress. Nyajime watches alertly.
In less than two weeks, Nyajime has been given a fresh chance at life. The doctors say that she should make a full recovery if her treatment is carefully followed. Nyajime is among an estimated 250,000 children under age five suffering from severe acute malnutrition in South Sudan.
Learn more about UNICEF’s work in South Sudan. #FightUnfair
