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The Cuban actor Luis Alberto García requested help this weekend to obtain three medications for a sick child in Cuba, a gesture that has mobilized dozens of people both on the island and abroad.
In his Facebook post, García wrote: "Cuban 'people': We have a case of a little boy who urgently needs three medications that sound very unusual to me, so I suspect they might be highly regulated. In Cuba, as far as I have found out, they do not exist. Just in case, I’m sending you the names, and let me know if a miracle happens: Mercaptopurine, Methotrexate, and Ondansetron."
The message generated over a hundred comments and numerous expressions of solidarity from users attempting to help the child or provide information about the medications.
The activist Lara Crofs was one of the first to respond: “Call me, I have two,” referring to the units of the medication she had available.
Other users joined in offering assistance or medical explanations. One internet user commented: “The actor Luis Alberto posted this number for the delivery of the medication. Jorge Antonio Noda, for the Ondansetron, could you please get in touch? Thank you so much, good person.”
Other individuals detailed the function of the medications. "The first two are cytostatic agents, and the third is an antiemetic used to prevent vomiting during chemotherapy," explained one user, while another added that "Ondansetron or Sofran is used in oncology before and after the administration of serums."
Several users offered donations from both inside and outside the country. “Tell me where to send it. It expires in May 2026, and there are only 10 pills. Let me know to whom, and I'll send it,” wrote someone from abroad.
There were also personal testimonies that reflect the harshness of the situation: “My little boy back in Cuba, every time he received chemotherapy, he would come out with Ondansetron. He was an oncology patient. Unfortunately, I lost my little son last year. Once you get to the oncology wards, those medications are controlled for patients,” shared a mother.
García himself participated in the comments and asked, "What is AICA?" when a user informed him that Ondasetron is manufactured in the Cuban pharmaceutical laboratories AICA, based in Havana.
Among the messages of support, reflections on the country's health situation were also expressed. "What would become of this people without its people?" wrote a user, referring to the chain of solidarity that was activated following the actor's request.
An extended crisis
The case once again highlights the scarcity of basic medications in Cuba, which has led to countless calls for help on social media. Just a few days ago, a Cuban mother requested assistance from the pediatric hospital in Banes to obtain Sodium Valproate for her son, who has epilepsy and was diagnosed with Wells syndrome.
Other citizens have had to turn to natural remedies. On social media, a young Cuban demonstrated how to prepare a decoction of papaya leaves to relieve the symptoms of chikungunya, due to the complete lack of medications in pharmacies and hospitals.
The health authority itself acknowledged the precariousness of the system. In a recent television appearance, the Ministry of Public Health recommended "covering the body" as a preventive measure against outbreaks of dengue and chikungunya, highlighting the lack of resources and basic supplies in the country.
The request from Luis Alberto García not only seeks medication but has also reignited the debate on the healthcare reality facing Cubans. In a country where hospitals lack supplies and treatments often rely on the goodwill of other citizens, each act of solidarity becomes a network of collective hope.
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