When Ismail Haider Shua'i arrived at the Al-Gharbi Health Unit in Keeda'na District on November 25, 2023, he was barely conscious due to persistent diarrhea.
 
Immediate Medical Attention
 
The health workers immediately examined the 17-month-old child. Clinical examination revealed that he was severely dehydrated and his vital signs were barely noticeable.
 
The health workers at the Al-Gharbi Health Unit diagnosed Ismail with severe acute malnutrition with complications. He was given a 10% dextrose solution, injected with an antibiotic (cefotaxime), and given Bactrim, Flagyl, and paracetamol syrups.
 
The National Foundation for Development and Humanitarian Response (NFDHR) supports the Al-Gharbi Health Unit and five other health facilities in Keeda'na District, Hajjah Governorate, as part of an integrated food, health, nutrition, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) project funded by the Yemen Humanitarian Fund (YHF).
 
 
 
At the time of his admission, Ismail weighed 4,300 grams, his height was 86.5 cm, and his Z-SCORE was below -3.
The NFDHR team met with the health workers and decided that Ismail needed to be urgently referred to a specialized center for the treatment of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in the district. The child's caregivers were informed of this decision, but they refused and insisted on informing his father.
 
The NFDHR team contacted Ismail's father by phone and explained the child's health condition and the need to transfer him to a specialized treatment center for malnutrition. However, he also refused, arguing that his child had been treated twice at a private health facility without success, and citing the family's poor economic situation.
 
The team assured Ismail's father that NFDHR would provide a car to transport the child to the treatment center and cover the living expenses of the person who would accompany him during his stay at the center. Ismail was then transferred to the center with his mother and underwent treatment under medical supervision.
 
Dr. Walid Al-Haj, NFDHR's Coordinator in Keeda'na District, confirmed that Ismail's condition was critical, his vital signs were almost non-existent, and the complications would have inevitably led to his death.
 
After three days at the treatment center, Ismail's condition improved somewhat and he regained consciousness. The complications were also treated.
 
The NFDHR team made sure to visit Ismail during his treatment period to follow up on his health condition, which showed a marked improvement within a short period of time. The doctors decided to discharge Ismail from the center on December 4, 2023, after he had regained his health and his weight had increased to... and his Z-SCORE had improved.
On the tenth day, Ismail left the SAM treatment center. He had been brought back from the brink of death and was now filled with new life. He returned to his mother, and with him, smiles returned to his family's home.