A child like Salma

One-year old Salma was struggling to breathe and too weak to eat when she arrived at Save the Children’s health clinic. The ongoing famine in the Somali region of Ethiopia had meant she wasn’t getting enough to eat at home, and more susceptible to infection. 

The Community Health Workers wasted no time. They referred Barey to Save the Children’s Stabilisation Centre where Salma was admitted. 

When she was admitted, Salma weighed just 5.5 kilos. She was given a feeding tube in her nose and was put on medication to treat her pneumonia. Just two days later, she was showing signs of improvement, and when she began taking milk again, her feeding tube was removed. After eight days, she was sitting up by herself and eating again. 

Salma and Barey stayed at the Centre for 12 days. By the time they left, Salma was a different child.

Five months later, Salma is now two. She loves playing with her sister, says Barey. “She asks her sister to dress her up with some clothes to make her look older. She loves doing that.” 
 
And after the dark days when Barey didn’t know if her daughter would make it, she dares to have hope for her future. “First of all, I hope for her to be healthy, God willing. I hope my daughter will become a doctor, to treat other little children just like her. I can’t thank the hospital enough for their help. I thank them so much.”