From CMMB: Baby Cecilia needed a miracle

Cecilia in her mother's arms at St. Therese Hospital in South Sudan "She was pale, and her fingertips were white. She was lethargic and irritable. She just lay there, next to her mother, too weak to do anything.” - CMMB volunteer Carrie Flaherty, RN Twenty-three-month-old Cecilia recently arrived at St. Therese Hospital in South Sudan, sick and weak with malaria. Her already precarious condition was further complicated by severe anemia, and desperately needed a blood transfusion. In places like South Sudan, malaria and anemia are among the leading causes of pediatric deaths. Like so many under-resourced hospitals, St. Therese has no regular stock of blood products. For patients in desperate need of a transfusion – patients like Cecilia – they must find family members who meet certain criteria and are willing to donate. Unfortunately, there were no family members who were compatible with Cecilia’s blood type. Malaria kills one child every 30 seconds. Anemia makes children even more vulnerable. Luckily, Martin Rubino, another CMMB volunteer serving in South Sudan, heard about Cecilia and volunteered to donate his own blood, which was compatible with hers. After his donation, Cecilia received the transfusion and later that afternoon she was “sitting up in bed, smiling, and looking more alert and energetic." She was discharged a few days later, a lively toddler once again. Cecilia was lucky, but for too many children, a lack of blood, medicines, or medical supplies means death. But you can help change this reality. Your gift, of $50, $100, $200, or any amount, can help ensure mission hospitals, like St. Therese in South Sudan, have access to lifesaving supplies, including blood banks and essential medicines, so that more babies like Cecilia have a chance at a healthy life. DONATE NOW In faith and friendship, President and CEO CMMB/Healthier Lives Worldwide PS: You can help more children like Cecilia get the critical care they need to survive. It doesn't matter how much you give. What matters is that your love and commitment for baby Cecilia helps real people. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.