Cuban activist Yamilka Laffita (Lara Crofs) shared a new photo on Tuesday confirming the incredible recovery of little girl Amanda Lemus Ortiz after undergoing a liver transplant in Spain just four months ago, following being practically abandoned by the Cuban healthcare system.
In the picture, which reached over 1,700 reactions and nearly 500 comments in just two hours, the little girl is seen smiling, seated in a stroller, looking much chubbier and with a sparkle in her eyes that is far from those very harsh photos in which she appeared very thin and deteriorated, with a striking yellowish tone in her eyes resulting from her condition.
"It is beautiful! Look at that gaze and that face, my God... life itself," summarized the journalist Jorge Enrique Rodríguez, in a feeling that the beautiful image evokes in thousands of people who have been following the case with attention and much affection.
Four months after the transplant, completed on July 15th, it is a fact that Amanda continues to make progress.
However, this time has not been easy, as during these months the child experienced several relapses due to the serious physical deterioration with which she arrived in Spain.
The story of the struggle to save Amanda's life began in January of this year when her mother - in a Facebook post that went viral - publicly apologized to her daughter for bringing her into the world in a country where the healthcare system could not meet her medical needs.
Amanda was suffering from a severe liver disease and was in urgent need of a liver transplant, but the limitations in Cuba prevented her from being transplanted.
Over the course of several weeks, activists, independent media outlets, and Cubans who supported the cause managed to raise the necessary funds for Amanda to travel to Spain with her parents in search of help.
In March, Amanda arrived in Spain, where the doctors were shocked by the serious deterioration of her health and pointed out that precious time had been lost in the care of her illness.
On March 15th, Amanda underwent a liver transplant at a hospital in Madrid. The operation was successful and marked the beginning of her recovery.
However, the journey has not been easy due to several complications resulting from resistant infections she contracted in Cuba. Despite those challenges, Amanda has shown a remarkable improvement over time.
In June, Yamilka Laffita already shared two photos illustrating Amanda's impressive recovery. The before and after of a girl who literally came back to life.
On June 21st, Amanda reached another milestone in her recovery when doctors removed the IVs and catheters she had needed during her treatment, another significant improvement in her physical condition.
In recent months, Lara Crofs has expressed gratitude on several occasions to everyone who collaborated to get Amanda out of Cuba and give her a new chance at life.
Amanda's complete recovery may still take months, but her progress so far has been encouraging, demonstrating the importance of solidarity and international aid in critical cases.
Unfortunately, many other children remain in Cuba as patients with serious illnesses for which there would be a much better prognosis if they were treated outside the country.
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