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A mass in memory of the Cuban child Damir Ortiz will be held this Wednesday, April 9, at 4:00 p.m. in the chapel of the Colón cemetery in Havana, an occasion for the community to join the child's grandmother to bid farewell from the island.
The activist Idelisa Diasniurka Salcedo Verdecia, who loved the child like “one of her aunts,” informed on Facebook this Monday that the ceremony will be sponsored by Father Jorge Luis.
He stated that this farewell act aims to be a moment of collective love for those who accompanied Damir with faith, concern, and affection during the drama he experienced in the final years of his life.
"We want to celebrate the Mass giving thanks to God for Damir's life, for all that he has meant to those who love him, and for all the love and goodness that surrounded him and that his life brought out in others," Salcedo wrote.
The spiritual gathering is also dedicated to praying for the comfort of his family, especially his mother, as well as for the peace of all those who closely followed his story.
"To say goodbye to Damir, to ask for the light of paradise... so that God's mercy may reach everyone," he added.
In her message, the author emphasizes the need for us, as a people, to accompany this moment of mourning and healing: "So that we may be brothers and be able to feel the pain of others as our own from that deep humanity we all share."
The mass will not only be a religious act but also a symbolic gesture for the community that supported Damir throughout his life—with prayers, denunciations, acts of solidarity, or simple words of encouragement—to be able to say goodbye to him as he deserves.
"To feel in this way that our people, who supported the boy from the aunts, also said goodbye to him," he concluded.
The activist Lara Crofs, whose real name is Yamilka Lafita, confirmed on social media that everything is “almost ready” for the mass in tribute to Damir.
“We are very tired after shooting all day to finalize details,” she expressed, thanking those who collaborated with flowers, printed images, framing, and displays of affection.
"To those who stopped me on the street to give me a hug... thank you all," he wrote.
The activist also shared an image of the painting that will be displayed during the ceremony, where Damir is depicted as the “little warrior” he was until the very end.
Eliannis Ramírez, mother of Damir, shared a deep and moving message on her social media this Sunday, just a few hours after the child's passing.
Written from the depths of the deepest pain, the text published on Facebook reflects the emptiness, sadness, and desolation that only a mother who has fought to the end for her child's life can feel.
Damir passed away early Saturday morning at Nicklaus Children's Hospital in Miami, after suffering from severe sepsis caused by a resistant bacteria he contracted in Cuba.
His case touched thousands of people and mobilized activists and doctors who managed to transfer him to the United States on March 12 in critical condition.
A few hours before his departure, after battling sepsis, Eliannis wrote these words:
"When a mother sees her child lifeless in a coffin, she feels as if death is tearing her insides apart—her dreams, her hopes, her illusions. She feels her interior transforming into a great emptiness; she feels death taking her child and also taking a part of herself, leaving her a distant figure from life, leaving a shell that only wants to break away in search of everything that was lost."
When a mother sees her child lifeless, she stops smiling from the heart and learns to draw a smile each day. Her empty body only feels the pain of her soul; she becomes a shadow devoid of will to live, gazing at the world with indifference. She lets time pass by, living a dead existence, striving to carry on, while her heart weeps because she will never again feel her child's heartbeat on this earth, nor will she be able to look up at the sky and smile. Now, she looks at the sky with her vision clouded by tears, searching for her child whom she can never find.
When a mother sees her child lifeless, she is enveloped by sorrow and pain settles in her soul; the spark of her life extinguishes, giving way to a pilgrimage of immense grief that seeks that final tear of an agony leading her to the great love of her life—her child. When a mother sees her child lifeless, she sits by their side, and a part of her departs… the part that belongs to that child who will never return.
When a mother sees her child lifeless, she remains incomplete for the rest of her life.
(D. L. W)
Frequently asked questions about the farewell of Damir Ortiz and his medical case
When and where will the farewell mass for Damir Ortiz take place?
The mass in memory of Damir Ortiz will be held on Wednesday, April 9, at 4:00 p.m. in the chapel of the Colón Cemetery in Havana. This event will allow the Cuban community to bid a final farewell to the little one.
What was the cause of Damir Ortiz's death?
Although it has not been officially confirmed, it is suspected that Damir Ortiz passed away due to an extremely aggressive bacteria he contracted in Cuba. This infection critically complicated his health condition.
What was the role of Cuban civil society in Damir's transfer to the United States?
The Cuban civil society played a crucial role in Damir's transfer to the United States. Thanks to an intense fundraising campaign and social pressure, a humanitarian visa was obtained for him to receive specialized medical treatment in Miami. This mobilization demonstrated the solidarity and joint effort of activists, doctors, and citizens.
Why won't Damir's mother return to Cuba?
Eliannis Ramírez, mother of Damir, will not return to Cuba after having sought political asylum in the United States. Her decision is motivated by fear of reprisals from the Cuban regime due to her report on the failures of the healthcare system on the island.
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