Eliannis Ramírez, mother of the Cuban boy Damir Ortiz, stated this Monday at a press conference at the American Museum of the Cuban Diaspora in Miami, Florida, that the doctors on the island were allowing her son to die.
Ramírez insisted that he did authorize the biopsy, but that the diagnosis was incorrect and all subsequent treatment was done under medical pressure: “They were letting him die,” he reiterated in a broadcast of Martí Noticias.
He also pointed out that the doctors featured on Cuban Television did not directly attend to his son.
The mother referred to Damir's delicate health condition and the neglect he faced in Cuba since he was little, and sorrowed over realizing it too late.
I demonstrated alongside Diasniurka Salcedo Verdecia in 2023, at the Ministry of Public Health, by the time Damir was 8 years old, and I have to say that thanks to her I began to see the light, of all the truth and all the neglect my son had faced since birth," the mother pointed out, highlighting that her relationship with the activist and the latter's commitment to the child's life has been ongoing for several years.
However, he emphasized that from the moment he began to publicly denounce his son's case on social media, the regime evicted him and ceased to provide adequate care.
He explained that he will undergo surgery on his left eye, the only one through which he could still see, and lamented that he will lose it due to medical errors, inadequate treatments, and bacteria he contracted in the Cuban healthcare system.
"It is the fault of MINSAP that my son has to lose his eye,” she stated firmly in front of several journalists. "My son is alive because we managed to get to the United States.”
At another point in the press conference, he compared the medical care received at the Miami hospital with that of Havana, highlighting that his son no longer has the bedsores he arrived with from Cuba.
"The child is improving; he has strength, is alert, responds to me, and listens to cartoons. He is getting better because he is now receiving his specific treatment," he emphasized.
Despite the complaints, she also thanked some Cuban nurses who dedicatedly cared for Damir, mentioning that one of them even resigned from her job because she couldn't stand the situation in the hospital.
Similarly, she reported that the regime claimed to have medications like Tramadol and artificial tears available for the child, but in reality, this was never true, as she had to find them on her own.
Furthermore, although he had to cover the cost of some medications and medical supplies, he expressed his gratitude, as it was often thanks to donations from compassionate individuals that his little one was able to receive the medical care needed. This support reflected the generosity and empathy of those who extended a helping hand in difficult times.
Ramírez also expressed his concern for the safety of his younger son, who remains in Cuba, as well as for his own mother.
Although he stated that he would do what is necessary for Damir's well-being in the United States, he acknowledged that he fears reprisals if he stays in the North American country.
"My son will require prolonged, steady medical attention. For Damir's health, I am doing everything possible and impossible to stay in this country (the U.S.), but in Cuba, I have my mother and my three-year-old son," she emphasized.
She admitted that she has been attacked by "ciberclarias," who are nothing more than undercover agents that constantly remind her that she "has a piece of her life in Cuba," as they have repeatedly told her in a threatening tone.
But I can't stop, I have to tell the truth, he stated.
This concern arose following the media campaign initiated by official outlets against him, after deficiencies in the treatment of the minor were revealed.
I never gave consent for my son's case to be aired on Cuban Television, emphasized Damir's mother, thereby highlighting how the regime violated this Cuban family's privacy.
None of the doctors who appeared on television attended to my son personally, none of them examined him, none of them did anything for him," the woman reported, highlighting the regime's manipulation campaign in the case of Damir.
She also emphasized that while in Miami, none of the Cuban doctors who appeared on Televisión Cubana reached out to her to request authorization or updated information about Damir.
"They waited for me to leave Cuba to talk about me", he emphasized. "They avoided mentioning his name, but in the end, they did, and Damir is my son."
In relation to the statements made by Dr. Araiz Consuegra Otero, director of the Juan Manuel Márquez Pediatric Hospital, Ramírez publicly accused her of trying to hold her responsible for the deterioration of her son Damir's health.
"She said that I was to blame for my son ending up in critical condition in the U.S. for not having a biopsy done," emphasized the courageous woman, who also stated: "I had plenty of reasons not to let them do that biopsy."
In a strong message to the people of Cuba, he said: "I didn't let them do it to him because of all the wrong they did to my son. The last was two bone marrow tests, which, due to the poor processing by Dr. Isabel, the pathologist at Juan Manuel Márquez, yielded no results, and my son did not have a diagnosis in that hospital."
What they did not clarify on Cuban Television, in an attempt to manipulate the case of the boy Damir, is that the biopsy was indeed performed after the child's transfer to the Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery.
"The doctor Orestes, who is the director, is indeed aware that a biopsy of the head lesion was performed, and another bone marrow test was conducted at the Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery by the hematologists Gustavo and Martiniano, and they were the ones who gave me, in less than 24 hours, the false diagnosis that my son had acute leukemia in the fourth stage", Ramírez asserted vigorously.
"I want to clarify, here, for Cuba, for the world, that they (the public health system) had thousands of opportunities to diagnose my son," emphasized Damir's mother, who added that all the tests, including the MRIs, were done "under pressure."
In an emotional message to Cuban mothers who may be facing a similar situation, Ramírez expressed: "I was in your place and I know it is terrifying. I was in their hands (Cuban regime) just like you are today, but I urge you to take care of your children, not to blindly trust everything the doctors tell you, because almost everything is a lie. They do it all so you don’t see the reality."
"Seek other opinions from doctors outside of Cuba, as I did," he emphasized.
During the press conference, activist Diasniurka Salcedo Verdecia spoke about donations.
Excited, she says that two million pesos were raised within Cuba, and she sent a message to the mothers who are still in that situation, emphasizing that they should not be afraid and that they should speak out against the dictatorship, assuring that they will continue to help the people.
"This is proof that social media works, that they see us, hear us, and support us, and that is the powerful message that has made the Cuban dictatorship fear and try to discredit this mother," she denounced.
The sad thing is that we have to go to another country to save a Cuban child, where they offer a medical power that is not, emphasized the activist in a clear message that highlights the decline of the regime on the island.
"It is impossible not to feel fear; our message is to not remain silent, to do what is necessary, to protest, to denounce, that the lives of your children are in your hands, that a mother has the obligation to defend her child with the truth, no matter the cost," Salcedo expressed in a message to Cuban mothers.
And he told the dictatorship: "We will continue to support our people, because they want freedom, as demonstrated on July 11, and we will continue to demonstrate this, and despite all the discredit campaigns, we will not respond any further. This is our only response, which is the truth of the Cuban people."
The activist emphasized that the doctors who attacked the mother on television are included in the list of repressors.
The Ministry of Public Health of Cuba (MINSAP) defended last Friday in a special television appearance the care provided to the child Damir Ortiz at the Juan Manuel Márquez Pediatric Hospital, and blamed the mother for interfering in the child's treatment.
The officials and doctors claimed that all medical decisions regarding the child—who, after an intense campaign on social media, was transferred to a Miami hospital in critical condition—“were made by consensus” and that the “priority was always the child’s well-being.”
Frequently Asked Questions about the Case of Damir Ortiz and Medical Care in Cuba
Why does Eliannis Ramírez accuse Cuban doctors of negligence?
Eliannis Ramírez accuses Cuban doctors of negligence, believing that her son Damir received an incorrect diagnosis and inadequate treatment in Cuba. According to Ramírez, the doctors on the island did not accurately detect her son's illness, which worsened his health condition, and that he did not undergo the necessary tests nor receive the appropriate medical care. The mother emphasizes that all of this put Damir's life at risk and that he was given up on by the Cuban healthcare system.
What is the current situation of Damir Ortiz after his transfer to the United States?
Currently, Damir Ortiz is at Nicklaus Children's Hospital in Miami, where he has shown significant improvement. Since his transfer, he has begun to breathe on his own and his health has improved thanks to the appropriate treatment he is receiving. Doctors in the United States have ruled out the leukemia diagnosis he was given in Cuba, and his progress has been positive, although he still faces challenges due to the aftereffects of the incorrect treatment received in his home country.
What criticism does Damir's case raise about the healthcare system in Cuba?
The case of Damir Ortiz exposes serious deficiencies in the Cuban healthcare system, such as the lack of medications, adequate medical equipment, and accurate diagnoses. Damir's situation has generated outrage and has been used by critics of the Cuban government to highlight the health crisis on the island. The lack of resources and bureaucracy have been identified as obstacles preventing patients from receiving the necessary medical care, leading many to seek help abroad.
What actions has Eliannis Ramírez taken to report the situation of her son?
Eliannis Ramírez has publicly denounced her son's situation through social media and press conferences. She has used her Facebook account to share her experience and criticize the medical care received in Cuba. Additionally, she has participated in press conferences in Miami to highlight the shortcomings of the treatment on the island and express her gratitude for the support received in the United States. Ramírez has also stated her intention to consider legal action against the Cuban regime for the medical negligence suffered by her son.
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