Cuban girl with a tumor in one eye pleads for international help: "I really like to play and I can't."

Rocío Bustamante Riverón, an 11-year-old girl with an orbital lymphangioma (tumor in her left eye), made an emotional plea to the world asking for help to receive medical treatment.

Since she was eleven months old, she has been suffering from an orbital lymphangioma, a benign yet invasive tumor located in her left eye, which prevents her from living a normal life and enjoying her childhood. "I would like to ask the whole world to help me heal my eye", Rocío pleads in a video shared on social media by her mother.

"A I really enjoy jumping a lot on the trampoline and I can’t. I like to play a lot in the inflatable park and I can’t do that either because of the illness I have," the girl expressed.

Her mother, Adela Amparo Riverón Vega, reports that despite having been treated in several hospitals across the country—such as William Soler, Juan Manuel Márquez, and Ramón Pando Ferrer—Rocío has not received any treatment in over a decade. Since she was four years old, doctors indicated that they needed to wait for the tumor to evolve, stating they would only intervene surgically if it burst.

Currently, Rocío has been in a constant crisis for over three months, experiencing recurrent bleeding in the affected eye, severe headaches, and a lack of appropriate medical follow-up. "I see her getting worse every time," her mother confesses in statements to our newsroom.

The doctors who have been following the case, including Dr. Julio César González Gómez and Dr. Odelaisys Hernández Echevarría, had already warned in 2018 that the ideal treatment was incomplete and risky in Cuba, due to a lack of technical and medical conditions.

Seven years later, the situation of the healthcare system on the island is even more critical, worsened by the shortage of supplies and specialized equipment. The Institute of Oncology acknowledged that it lacks alternatives for treatment and the experience to perform other procedures such as ultrasound-guided percutaneous catheter drainage.

However, the MINSAP also does not assist with obtaining care abroad, despite having a department dedicated to it.

In the latest examination, a contrast-enhanced CT scan was performed on Rocío at her mother's request, considering that she had not received regular check-ups for years. The only palliative measures offered have been eye drops, compresses, and sporadic check-ups.

Despite her young age, Rocío understands the impact of her illness. Beyond the physical discomfort, it pains her not to be able to play like other children. "All I would like is to ask the world to help me heal my eye so I can play like the other children and enjoy my childhood."

Rocío's situation is not unique. Other Cuban mothers have publicly denounced the lack of medical treatment for their children, such as in the case of Brianna Charlette Blanco, who is affected by a tumor at the base of her tongue, or Jorgito Reina, a boy with leukemia who has been waiting nearly two years for a humanitarian visa to receive medical care in the United States.

Rocío's family has turned to social media and independent media to highlight their situation and call for a solution outside the national healthcare system. Meanwhile, the girl continues to wait for an opportunity that will allow her to play, jump, run, and live like any other child her age.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Rocío Bustamante Case and the Health Crisis in Cuba