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The tragedy seems to show no mercy to Lester Domínguez, the young man from Holguín who has not been able to walk again since the brutal assault he suffered in 2023.
To the list of medical challenges and shortages he has faced since then, the devastation left by Hurricane Melissa is now added, which tore part of the roof off his home and destroyed the fence around the family residence in the municipality of San Germán.
His father, Dennis Domínguez, reported on Facebook that the cyclone caused severe damage in the area: fallen trees, destroyed power lines, collapsed houses, and rural areas under water.
Lester's situation is particularly delicate, as he is awaiting spinal surgery to correct the inverted vertebrae in his neck.
According to his father, due to the damage caused by the hurricane, the intervention has once again been postponed indefinitely. "The boy is in good health, but there is no date for the surgery," he said.
Nevertheless, in the comments section, Lester clarified that he is doing well, that there was no significant damage to the house where he currently resides due to the storm, and that he is still waiting for a cousin to send him the necessary items for his surgery.
A story of pain, tenacity, and hope
Lester sustained an incomplete C5 spinal injury after the attack that nearly cost him his life in March 2023. The thieves assaulted him with a machete to steal his mobile phone, and since then he has been facing a long and painful recovery process.
After several surgeries and months of rehabilitation at the Julito Díaz hospital in Havana, he has regained some sensitivity and movement, but continues to rely on a wheelchair and constant care.
In October, his father reported that his son must undergo a new surgery, necessary to improve mobility.
"He will have to be bedridden again for two to three months," he specified then.
Dennis recalled that Lester had already overcome extreme situations after that attack that nearly killed him: a tracheotomy, mechanical ventilation, bedsores, and multiple medical complications.
"We know the risks involved because hospitals in Cuba are not even 30 percent of what they used to be. We have experienced situations where, during a tracheotomy procedure, the power went out in the operating room and the doctors ended up using cell phones as lights," he detailed.
It was in August when doctors confirmed the necessity of this new intervention, essential to prevent complications such as arthritis and a worsening of the young man's condition.
The family has had to secure supplies and medications that are not available in Cuban hospitals due to the deep crisis in the healthcare system.
San Germán, devastated by Melissa
Hurricane Melissa hit the eastern part of the country hard, leaving entire communities flooded.
In several areas of Holguín, entire families were trapped on the roofs of their houses or warehouses, waiting for hours for a rescue to arrive, while the floods swept away everything.
The situation in San Germán is merely a reflection of the helplessness experienced in eastern Cuba following the passage of Melissa. The material losses are tremendous, and recovery seems like a distant goal in a country where salaries barely suffice for survival.
The lack of preparation, resources, and effective response to emergencies repeats with every weather phenomenon, and thousands of families lose everything.
Amidst the material ruin and the crisis of the healthcare system, Lester has become a symbol of resistance. His story encapsulates the reality of a country where victims must fight not only against violence and disease, but also against state indifference and everyday poverty.
Meanwhile, his father is asking for prayers and support for his son's recovery, holding on to faith and the solidarity of those who have followed his story.
"Let's hope that God continues to perform the miracle of restoring him along with the doctors," he/she wrote.
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