Kids dieing in Haiti still perplexes me. It still makes me wonder why God allows this. Why do people spend millions on homes here in the states when these children will die before they are 5. Why do I spend $2 every day this week for coffee when these children could take my $2 and live on it every day? Why do these mom's have to loose child after child because they have no money to feed them?
Licia admitted this little girl in and doesn't expect her to live long. Why? How?
Licia had this chart on her blog today and I wanted to share it with you. I will probably go my entire life and never experience what these children experience.
HOW STARVATION AFFECT THE BODY
Area |
Effects |
Digestive system |
Decreased production of stomach acid Shrinking of the stomach Frequent, often fatal, diarrhea |
Cardiovascular system (heart and blood vessels) |
Reduced heart size, reduced amount of blood pumped, slow heart rate, and low blood pressure Ultimately, heart failure |
Respiratory system |
Slow breathing and reduced lung capacity Ultimately, respiratory failure |
Reproductive system |
Reduced size of ovaries and testes Loss of sex drive (libido) Cessation of menstrual periods |
Nervous system |
Apathy and irritability In children, mental retardation (sometimes) Mental dysfunction, particularly in older people |
Muscles |
Reduced muscle size and strength, imparing the ability to exercise or work |
Blood |
Anemia |
Metabolism (body processes to convert food into energy or to synthesize needed substances) |
Low body temperature (hypothermia) Fluid accumulation in the arms, legs, and abdomen Disappearance of fat |
Skin and hair |
Thin, dry, inelastic skin Dry, sparse hair that falls out easily |
Immune system |
Impaired ability to fight infections and repair wounds |
To add to the sadness of children in Haiti starving, is the number of children all over the world starving!! Of all things, starving!! I agree, it is so foreign to us and yet to witness it is just heart breaking. I think almost every woman I have met in Africa has lost at least one child. Not all to starvation, but the vast majority to very preventable things like starvation. I can’t even fathom.
Thanks for the reminder!
Thank you for sharing. I too wonder why God allows this to happen, yet I know it is out of my hands; it’s not for me to understand. It’s for me to figure out how to help them. It’s for the body of Christ to step in and BE the body of christ. We have a long way to go I think…
oh girl, how horrible. i so want to make some sort of difference in this world, and i know i will:) it is so hard for us to fathom life outside our bubble, outside the US. but, millions are starving all over the world. oh how sad. it makes me want to scream why?why? why do children have to die b/c they don’t have enough of even anything to eat? you are saving 2 lives! and even more with your contributions. you go girl. may God continue to bless you as you bless others. good luck in Austin…love, courtney
Jamie,
Here is a quote I have taped to my computer…
“When a poor person dies of hunger, it has not happened because God did not take care of him or her. It happened because neither you nor I wanted to give that person what he or she needed. ” Mother Teresa
D
What an awesome quote! Thank you sooo very much for posting it.
It is so, so sad. So confusing when we live with so much excess. We just went on a cruise and I felt literally sick about the amount of wasted food as we sailed by Mexican slums. When you have seen starvation and realize how many this effects, it’s hard not to think about it every day. Thank God for people like Licia who are making a difference.