A Cuban grandmother, distressed by the possibility that her grandson may develop cancer-related complications, sought international help this Wednesday to give the little boy hope for a fulfilling life.
Alibeth Rodríguez wrote on Facebook that Elier Fabián Rodríguez Rosado, who will turn two on May 18, “deserves a chance,” noting that he is not responding to the treatments given at the William Soler Pediatric Hospital in Havana.
At 15 months of age, the child was diagnosed with "neuroblastoma in the right adrenal gland, which initially measured 69x65x79 mm and now its dimensions are 73x59x54 mm," the woman highlighted in her post.
The grieving grandmother shared that the little one is "unfortunately" not responding well to the treatment, which has already included seven sessions of chemotherapy with the medications Vincristine, Cyclophosphamide, and Dactinomycin.
Rodríguez noted that in the latest treatment, they added Adriamycin, which caused significant harm to her body as it resulted in febrile leukopenia (febrile neutropenia) and led to a significant drop in her platelet count.
The woman's distress deepens, as although there are other more powerful forms of chemotherapy that could help reduce the size of the tumor, in the child's specific case, they cannot be administered due to his chronic anemia.
Finally, Rodríguez appealed to the international community for assistance, stating that the only remaining option "might be a surgery to remove the tumor, but given its size, it is very risky."
This grandmother, reflecting the family's desperation, asked on Facebook: “What can we do? Should we just sit idly by and watch as the child deteriorates little by little due to those treatments that have done nothing? On the contrary, the tumor continues to grow, with the risk of it starting to metastasize?”
The anguish of the families of sick individuals in Cuba is a story that repeats itself time and time again, amid a worsening economic situation.
Six-year-old Cuban girl Sofía Mercedes Muñoz Rivero pleaded for help this Wednesday to travel to the United States, where she can receive treatment for the acute myeloid leukemia that threatens her life.
"Hello, my name is Sofi. I want to go to the United States because I'm a bit sick," begins the little girl in a video that her parents posted on social media, which has been shared by hundreds of users.
Another instance where international assistance has been sought involves a 21-year-old Cuban young man diagnosed with bone marrow aplasia, who is in need of medication to address his condition, as reported by journalist Javier Díaz on his Facebook profile.
"Urgent! Help is needed for Leodanis Morales Alemán, a 21-year-old diagnosed with bone marrow aplasia in Nuevitas, Camagüey," was the appeal made by the communicator to the Cuban community and others interested in assisting the young man.
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