The Cuban comedian Ulises Toirac joined the campaign to save the life of Thiago Fernando López Riverón, a nine-year-old boy who suffers from a degenerative disease for which there is no treatment in Cuba.
"I intend to increase the visibility of the case and publish the ways in which help can be provided to find faster and definitive solutions. Achieve making it possible to obtain a humanitarian visa to be treated in another country," he expressed on his Facebook.
Ulises explained that he met Frida, the mother of the child, and found out that she suffers from Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which is caused by a defective gene for dystrophin (a protein in the muscles), and that worsens rapidly.
Muscular dystrophies obviously attack the entire body and have devastating consequences on the respiratory, skeletal, gastric, circulatory, neurological systems, etc., since muscles are involved in almost all processes directly or indirectly. Logically, when each process fails, as the systems and organs of the body are harmoniously connected, chains of failures occur in others, leading to one crisis after another in vital functions," he explained.
In conclusion, a disastrous condition for Thiago's health, whose solution is more than complex and is still in the research phase in advanced centers around the world, through the use of stem cells, which seem to be the most promising means and which apparently closed due to shortages, last February in Cuba," he pointed out.
The comedian added that Thiago is being treated at the William Soler Pediatric Hospital, where there are many deficiencies, although he clarified that he has not spoken to the doctors about the intricacies of the issues.
"What I do see is a degenerative process advancing forcefully in the body of this child, extinguishing his life," he emphasized.
Ulises shared Frida Riverón's bank accounts, Thiago's mother: 9227 9598 7749 9553 CUP and 9225 9598 7993 5838 MLC. The mobile number for confirmation is: +53 53388243.
On April 25th, a GoFundMe account was created to try to raise $20,000 to save the child. At the time of writing this note, only $1,525 has been collected.
The activist Yamilka Lafita (Lara Crofs), who started an online campaign to obtain a humanitarian visa for the child, reported that his health is deteriorating as time goes by.
On May 22nd, Thiago had a consultation with the orthopedic doctor, who concluded that he must undergo surgery on his spine from the first vertebra to the pelvis in an attempt to correct scoliosis that is causing him respiratory failure because it compresses one of his lungs.
The doctor explained that as a protocol, the child will be included in a scheduling for the month of September. However, he does not assure the intervention at all, as the classrooms remain closed (...), there are no resources, disposable materials, or supplies," he detailed on Facebook.
Lara has explained that there should be no problem for Thiago to receive treatment in another country, as his family has the document validating that he cannot be treated in Cuba. This year, due to a lack of supplies and medical staff, the stem cell program at William Soler Hospital has been closed.
"He has a progression of the disease that would start to show at 13 or 14 years old," he reported in April.
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