In Banes, Holguín, a Cuban mother is facing a desperate situation. Without access to essential medications for her child with a mental illness, she has requested help to build a cell within her own home.
The decision, though painful, is his only option to protect his family and ensure the safety of his other son, who has a mild intellectual disability.
"we can no longer sleep. I am afraid he will tear off the gate he has and do something to his brother, who has a slight developmental delay. When he has his medication, he is manageable, but without it, he doesn’t leave the house except to shower," said the mother to the Cuban activist Norge Ernesto Díaz Blak, who appealed for solidarity with this family on his social media.
In a heartbreaking video, the elderly woman shared her testimony of despair, marked by the illness of her two children, the precarious living conditions, her own illness - suffering from global deterioration of the central nervous system - and the poverty in which they survive on a pension of just 1,528 Cuban pesos.
"I should be taking vitamins and things, but I haven't been to the doctor in a long time; with this situation, I can't go anywhere," the mother confessed to the activist.
The lack of medicine for her son has triggered a series of unsustainable difficulties. “He gets dirty on the bed, in the bed, on the floor... I put a potty there, but sometimes he uses it and sometimes he doesn't. Besides his mental issues, he is physically disabled; he has a lot of trouble lifting his legs,” she recounted.
The pain of asking for help to confine her own son was evident in her words. “It hurts me deeply to ask for help to create something like a dungeon for my son, because a mother’s heart cannot bear that. But I don’t want to see him in police custody, locked up, or in a hospital. I prefer to be with him like this, fighting as best as I can.”
In addition to the construction of the cell, the mother is requesting support to obtain medications that are currently in shortage.
"I feel fear, yes, because I'm afraid he will do something to his brother. Every time he asks for food, oh my son!... When I have something to give, I do; when I don't, it's crying... 'Give me a cigarette, give me food, I'm hungry and I haven't eaten.' No one knows what you feel having a child in these conditions," the mother recounted.
For those who wish to contribute, account numbers in CUP and MLC have been shared (9205 0699 9058 4681 and 9235 1299 7681 5824, respectively), as well as a contact number (+53 082732) to confirm transfers. This desperate appeal highlights the shortcomings of the healthcare system and the vulnerability of many Cuban families.
Cuban families face similar challenges
The situation of this mother in Banes is not an isolated case in Cuba. Numerous families with patients suffering from mental illnesses face similar challenges due to the shortage of medications and the lack of adequate resources.
In October 2023, the situation of a woman in Havana was reported who, due to the lack of medication to treat her schizophrenia, attempted to enter a psychiatric hospital. However, she was not admitted because of the lack of available beds, which worsened her condition and her family's desperation.
Another tragic case occurred in April 2024 in Cienfuegos, where a minor with psychological issues committed suicide due to the lack of necessary medications for their treatment. This incident highlights the deadly consequences that the shortage of essential medical resources can have.
In November 2024, it was reported that a patient at the Las Tunas psychiatric hospital escaped due to hunger and neglect he experienced at the institution. This incident highlights the precarious conditions in which some mental health centers in the country are situated.
These cases reflect a broader issue within the Cuban healthcare system, where the lack of medications and adequate resources for treating mental illnesses jeopardizes the lives and well-being of patients and their families. The situation calls for urgent attention from authorities to ensure access to treatments and dignified conditions for those facing these illnesses.
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