They report the case of Damir's little brother, waiting for surgery and neglected by the Cuban healthcare system

The Cuban doctor Lucio Enríquez Nodarse reported on Facebook the critical medical situation of David, the younger brother of Damir Ortiz, the boy who died in Miami after spending years ill in Cuba without adequate medical care.

Enríquez warned that David Ortiz, who is only four years old, has been waiting for a surgery to correct his cryptorchidism (undescended testicle), a condition that, if not treated in time, can lead to serious complications, including testicular cancer.

"What is happening with David, Damir's brother? Hasn't he been operated on for the cryptorchidism yet? Do you know that that testicle can become malignant if not operated on?" asked the doctor, who is based in Spain.

"If that happens, the Cuban dictatorship and its failed healthcare system will be responsible once again! And we will denounce them to infinity! (...) I hold them accountable for that not happening to the only child Eliannis Ramírez has left, because Damir has already been killed!" he emphasized.

Enríquez recalled that the main international medical guidelines—such as those from the European Association of Urology (EAU) and the American Urological Association (AUA)—indicate that the ideal timeframe for operating on this condition is between six and 12 months of age, and never after 18 months.

David, on the other hand, is already 4 years old, which places his situation in a high medical risk area.

David's mother: abandonment, excuses, and fear

In response to Enríquez Nodarse's public denunciation, Eliannis Ramírez, mother of Damir and David, expressed with harshness and pain that she is experiencing the same neglect and abandonment with her youngest son as she did with Damir in the Cuban healthcare system.

"He already had blood tests done, was evaluated by a dentist and a urologist, and is still waiting. They say there is no anesthetist, that there is a line of children waiting since 2023. It's all a story," he said.

Eliannis, who is in Miami, claims that she is afraid of reprisals against David while she is far away.

This brave mother led an international campaign for months to bring attention to Damir's case and ensure he received treatment outside of Cuba. She succeeded, but unfortunately, the boy arrived in Miami in very poor condition and did not survive.

The doctor believes that after his public warning, the health authorities will prioritize David, because they know that if something were to happen to him, it would be costly for them.

But Eliannis is not so sure. According to her, she has tried to arrange the operation at several medical institutions, both in the East and in Havana, without any success.

"David is experiencing pain in that testicle, and it radiates to his right knee; the urologist is already aware of this. David is the only thing they left me... it's better not to say more. MINSAP, please take care of David," she pleaded.

Enríquez offered to mobilize international media if immediate action was not taken.

Eliannis responded that she set a deadline until Saturday for them to schedule her for the surgery. "If they don't call for the consultation with the anesthetist before Saturday, I'm going to raise a fuss," she announced.

The Damir Case: An Open Wound

The name Damir, diagnosed at the age of two with neurofibromatosis type 1, became a symbol of the collapse of the Cuban healthcare system after a history marked by negligence, institutional apathy, and medical inaction on the Island.

The minor suffered multiple complications that worsened after contracting a resistant bacteria. Specialists in Miami revealed that he did not die from his underlying illness, but rather from the severe infection and lack of access to antibiotics.

His mother claims that he did not receive timely or adequate care in Cuba. He was a victim of misdiagnoses, unjustified delays, and a lack of basic medical resources, a situation that forced his family to take him out of the country in search of treatment.

He was transferred in critical condition to Miami on March 12, but despite medical efforts, he died weeks later at Nicklaus Children's Hospital.

Now, the case of David, his younger brother, could become another heartbreaking example of institutional medical negligence.

The fear of reprisals is intertwined with the desperation to avoid another loss. Lucio Enríquez Nodarse and other activists have vowed to make the situation public if there is no immediate response from the Cuban health system.

"If I were Mariela Castro's son, I would already be operated on," the doctor stated.

Frequently Asked Questions about the David Ortiz Case and the Health Situation in Cuba