Mother pleads for help in Pinar del Río: “My son is in a crib that he doesn't fit in”

The mother of a Cuban child with epileptic encephalopathy reported the situation in which the minor finds himself, as he no longer fits in his crib, and the authorities in Pinar del Río have ignored the request for a home with the appropriate conditions to care for the illness he suffers from.

Rosalba Castillo Barrios pleaded for help this Thursday to resolve the issue she has been reporting for years, one that the local government has neglected, despite it involving a minor with a severe chronic illness.

Your son Rosmiel suffers from Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a severe type of epilepsy that keeps him bedridden. Currently, the child suffers from pain and injuries to his feet because he no longer fits in the crib, and the family does not have a home with sufficient space to care for him properly.

“Continuing with the COMPLAINTS. As everyone knows and has seen, my son does not have the room he desperately needs because the government of Pinar del Río has not provided it in six years, and it seems they will not offer a solution to the housing issue. These are the conditions in which my child is in a crib that he does not fit in, while his bed is at a neighbor's house, deteriorating, and nobody seems to care,” revealed Castillo on Facebook and shared a video showing the circumstances in which the patient finds himself.

The grieving mother stressed: “Day by day, night after night, my son suffers from pain and injuries in his feet trying to (…) be comfortable, but he can't because he doesn't have enough space. She demands: **Rosmiel needs his house!!**”

In another post shared on social media, the mother questioned the authorities for not addressing her son's case; she expressed her regret for not having succeeded, despite her continuous reports.

"When is the government going to understand that you need a bit of space for your bed, your anti-decubitus mattress, a space for your car, and to sit down... When are they going to help, when in six years you've only asked for one housing unit, even if it's small, so that you, my child, can be in your room with the conditions you need for your health," Castillo asked.

Visibly distressed, she confessed: "My heart shatters into a thousand pieces every time I hold you in my arms and you laugh, when I take you outside for a bit to soak up the sun and breathe in some fresh air, and still not even have a small corner to put you for a while where you can enjoy looking at everything. I deeply regret that I haven't won this battle for you, nor for your sisters... but I will not give up, because the path is not made of just one stone but of thousands. God has to help us; life can't treat us this badly. You don't deserve it, my child, I will continue fighting for you. I love you."

In this post, the mother added photos of the child and a sore he already has on his back, which worsens his health condition.

This is not the first time that Castillo has had to resort to public denunciation to demand the ongoing healthcare that his son requires.

The woman reported in 2024 the lack of an essential medication to treat her child's illness, Levetiracetam, which she had been informed was unavailable. However, the drug “appeared” after she had challenged the government of Pinar del Río.

In 2021, she also highlighted the lack of support from the Cuban government despite being aware of her son's illness. Since then, she has been fighting against the lies and negligence of the authorities.

Frequently Asked Questions about the situation of Rosalba Castillo and her son in Cuba