A child came to our doctors after hours in line under the blazing sun. Quietly, he huddled in his grandmother’s lap, barely showing emotion. The doctor inquired further, “Was everything okay?” When it came time to flee, the grandmother shared the child’s parents placed him in her protective arms. They thought, since the grandmother needed more time to walk, it was best to send her first. In the chaos, the parents preparing things for the challenging journey promised to catch up.

Every morning, the boy asks for his parents. Eyes brimming with tears, the grandmother said, “I tell him each day, we’ll pray for them to make it here.” The doctor asked, “How long has it been?”. The grandmother shakily responds, “A year”.

The doctor realizes the grandmother understands the best medicine in this situation is hope. It is what the Rohingya are left to survive on.

The young boys’ parents, desperate to manage their child’s illness in the camps of Jordan, visited with IMANA’s medical team. They were thankful to have had someone to talk to, even if they could not do much with limited resources. But for the team, a basic wellness check, counseling, and kind words did not feel enough.

It was the kind of case you never forget. With some research, mailing out letters, and advocacy efforts on behalf of the patient, Abbott Laboratories provided the child with a lifetime supply of Ketonex, a nutrition support formula.
Imagine, one last time, how full the hearts of those parents were on the day they received the good news.