Víctor Alfonso Cedeño, creator of the popular animated series Dany and the Club of the Berracos and the character Yesapín García, passed away this Monday in Miami after a long battle with cancer.
His wife, Claudia Elizabeth Ruíz García, confirmed the news of his passing on her Facebook profile. “Much light for your soul, my love. You were my partner, my love, and my friend,” she wrote.
Víctor, who was not only a prominent audiovisual director but also a member of the 27-N movement, arrived in Miami thanks to a humanitarian visa to undergo treatment for chondrosarcoma, a type of cancer that was diagnosed in him in 2018 in Cuba.
The filmmaker underwent a grade three hemipelvectomy and radiotherapy; however, despite these radical treatments, the cancer returned in early 2021. In March, he underwent another surgery, “this time involving complex reconstructions due to surgical accidents,” he explained in an interview upon his arrival in the United States.
In addition to the recurrence of the tumor, new tumors emerged in the area of the previous surgery, and the doctors informed him that his case was now inoperable, which is the only viable option in Cuba for treating this type of cancer.
Through a childhood friend of Víctor who lives in Miami, they managed to schedule an appointment at the medical center. During a video call, the filmmaker was able to explain his case to the doctor and get him started on treatment.
Initially, everything was done through video calls, and they were sending medications to Cuba that he needed to take, but it had become necessary to continue in person.
The death of Víctor has deeply moved many Cubans who have enjoyed Yesapín's antics. In fact, since news of his illness broke, the Cuban filmmaker received extensive support for managing his visa and for his care at the Sylvester Cancer Center, as well as for covering treatment expenses through a GoFundMe campaign.
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