The mother of Yodelmis Furones Matos, a six-year-old boy who was injured after a wall collapsed in their home in Baracoa, expressed her gratitude for the medical care received. The accident occurred when a mango tree fell on the house as Hurricane Oscar passed through.
"I feel grateful to see him alive and in better condition," declared Kirenia Matos Laborí to the local Santiago newspaper Sierra Maestra, highlighting the appropriate intervention of the healthcare staff.
After several days of experiencing dissociative amnesia due to the traumatic incident in which her husband was also injured, Kirenia recalled several moments from that day.
As the mango tree fell on her house last Monday, October 21, it was around two in the morning. The wall that collapsed fell on Yodelmis, and amid the widespread blackout, she tried to save him, along with her husband, who fractured his leg during the rescue.
They, residents of Joa, Baracoa, a village covering 15 km² with just over a thousand inhabitants, rushed to seek help from a neighbor in the nearest house, who transported them in his jeep to the Octavio de la Concepción y de la Pedraja Teaching Hospital, where the child received initial care.
The next day, he was transported by helicopter to the Dr. Antonio María Béguez César Children's Hospital in Santiago de Cuba, known as La Colonia, where he underwent surgery.
"Those who welcomed me here and took care of my baby since Tuesday now feel like family. The doctors, the nurses, the staff... What wonderful care, how much help from so many people I don't know who have donated everything! Sometimes I am at a loss for words, because saying thank you feels inadequate. I see my son alive and doing better. Is there anything greater than that in the world?" said Kirenia to the state-run media.
The other part of his family, including his 12-year-old son, his parents, and an uncle, is also safe in the area affected by the hurricane.
At the Santiago hospital, donations have been received from the Millennium Bar and the Association of Haitian Descendants, which include two boxes containing clothing for adults and children, shoes, supplies such as toothbrushes and toothpaste, soap, and balloons to celebrate when the recovery is complete, mentioned Milagros Merbillet Mericie, President of the Association in Santiago de Cuba.
Oscar's passage, complicated by the total collapse of the national electricity system that occurred prior to its arrival in the country, left devastation in Baracoa, San Antonio del Sur, and Imías.
There are also other rescue stories, such as that of the 12-year-old Cuban boy identified as Daniel González Hernández, who was saved from the severe flooding in San Antonio del Sur.
The teenager was admitted to the Pedro Agustín Pérez Provincial Pediatric Hospital in Guantánamo after being rescued by members of the Municipal Defense Council.
Resident of Macambo, González Hernández suffered a severe injury to his left leg and successfully underwent a necroectomy, a medical procedure necessary to remove dead tissue and prevent infections that could lead to permanent deformities.
In addition to countless material damages and affected individuals, Oscar's passage resulted in at least seven fatalities, according to authorities. However, the assessment of the disaster is still yet to be determined, although the Cuban government has been very cautious in providing information.
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