Patricia was brought to us as a 4-day-old, severely malnourished baby. Her mother died during childbirth and her father immediately rejected her. She had been living on nothing but glucose water for her first days of life.

Once she arrived to Malayaka House we started trying to help, the best we could, and little by little Patricia began to gain some weight.  After 3 weeks with us, she got a bacterial infection that put her in the hospital for 3 days. Doctors recommended that we feed her with a tube that went from her nose directly to her stomach. We fed Patricia in this way for one and a half months.  The doctors also discovered that she was lactose intolerant and couldn’t digest milk products well, so we had to import a special formula from Spain, because it cannot be found in Uganda.

For 3 months we kept Patricia separated from the other kids to prevent other infections, and Auntie Winnie, Auntie Elisabeth and Auntie Bea took turns caring for her.

After that challenging time, everyone in the house stepped in to care for baby Patricia, and she was held all day. She began growing stronger and thriving.

Now she is close to 2 years, and she’s our little queen. Patricia is lovely and sweet, but also has a strong personality. Her smile illuminates all of Malayaka House, and everyone that holds her immediately seems peaceful and happy.

Patricia is our little miracle and we are very happy and proud to have her in our lives.