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The Cuban Elmer Arias, a resident of Miami and originally from Baracoa, Guantánamo, sent a message to CiberCuba in which he requests a humanitarian visa and international medical support for his six-year-old son, Marcos Arias Rodríguez, who suffers from sickle cell anemia and is facing a critical health situation.
In his message, Arias explained that the boy suffers from frequent episodes of splenic sequestration, a serious complication that lowers his hemoglobin levels to dangerous ranges—between 3 and 6 grams—and requires constant blood transfusions, sometimes with as little as a fifteen-day interval.
The father claims that the minor has received more than a hundred transfusions since the age of 14 months.
The little one receives care at the Hematology Institute in Havana, where, according to Arias, the medical staff has been professional and supportive.
However, it reports that the lack of compatible blood and supply issues make it impossible to maintain a stable treatment.
"At times, he has had to return home with hemoglobin levels below six because there is no blood available," he wrote.
The father explained that his son has received all possible treatments in Cuba, including hydroxyurea, ferrous fumarate, L-glutamine, and even exchange transfusions, without achieving significant improvement.
He indicated that the child needs a contrast-enhanced CT angiography, a key study to assess a partial splenectomy, but the procedure has not been able to take place due to the lack of resources in the country.
Arias expressed that his goal is to obtain a humanitarian visa that would allow him to take his son to a specialized hospital in the United States, like St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, in search of advanced and stable treatment opportunities.
A few days later, the father posted a message on Facebook to update on the child's condition and request support.
"Right now he is better, but he lives in a constant cycle of crisis every 15 or 20 days. This is no life for anyone," he wrote.
In his post, he asked his friends to "pray for Marquito" and to share the story "so that it reaches somewhere important."
The child, who has blood type A+, receives O- blood transfusions in Vedado, Havana, and his father states that, despite the seriousness of the situation, he remains hopeful and faithful in finding medical assistance.
"In Cuba, everything has been tried and nothing works," said Arias.
"I am willing to make any sacrifice to give him a chance at life," emphasized the grieving father.
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