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Valentina Méndez Oliva, an eight-year-old Cuban girl, has been fighting a tough battle against acute lymphoblastic leukemia since she was two, and she has suffered a relapse.
Her mother, Janet Oliva, is pleading for a humanitarian visa that would allow them to travel to the United States to receive treatment that could save her life.
According to a report from Telemundo 51 Miami, the doctors at the Institute of Hematology and Immunology in Havana have already informed the family that there are no more therapeutic options available in Cuba, due to a lack of medications and specialized resources.
"There's nothing more for her," her mother said, very distressed, in a statement to the American channel.
Valentina is suffering from a second combined relapse, which has worsened her condition.
The minor remains hospitalized most of the time, unable to attend school, while her mother pleads for a humanitarian visa that would allow them to travel to Miami, where Nicklaus Children's Hospital has already confirmed its willingness to care for her.
“ I offered to help her to give Valentina a chance at life,” said Claudia, a family friend residing in Florida, who submitted the visa application to USCIS in 2024.
However, the visa was denied due to a "lack of compelling evidence" demonstrating the medical necessity of the trip.
Claudia submitted Valentina's medical history along with the file, the acceptance letter from the U.S. hospital, and a letter of support from Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart, who expressed solidarity with the case.
Still, the immigration authorities denied the application.
"I implore you to approve my humanitarian visa; we really need it, she needs it," Janet Oliva pleaded in the report, stating that every day is crucial for her daughter's life.
In 2024, the mother had already moved hundreds of users on social media by shaving her head in solidarity with Valentina.
"My warrior princess, with you until the end of the world," he wrote as he shared a photo with the girl.
Oliva explained that, although the care from Cuban doctors has been good, the country lacks the necessary medications for the complex treatments her daughter needs.
That's why he insists that the visa is the only way for Valentina to receive advanced chemotherapy and a possible bone marrow transplant in the United States.
From Miami, the family created a campaign on GoFundMe to raise funds to cover the travel and accommodation expenses.
"The time is running out and Valentina's life is fading away little by little," summarized the report from T51.
Meanwhile, in a hospital in Havana, the girl continues to cling to the hope that the United States will reopen her case and grant her the visa that could give her a new opportunity for life.
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