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Fernando José Junco Horscheck, a 19-year-old from Havana diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma Mixed Cellularity Stage III, urgently needs $7,200 to purchase two medications prescribed by the doctors at the Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital, which are the only option for rescue but are unavailable in the Cuban public health system.
Her case was publicly reported by her mother on Facebook and was also sent directly to CiberCuba by her aunt, who requested urgent help to spread the case.
Fernando was diagnosed in July 2024 when he was 18 years old.
His mother, Ivette Horscheck Ceruto, recounted it with these words: "He was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, nodular sclerosis type, stage III. Since then, he has received all possible treatments of chemotherapy and radiation, but it has not been enough."
Given the lack of response to standard treatment, the medical team at Hermanos Ameijeiras, led by Dr. Yusaima Rodríguez Fraga, Head of Hematology at the center, proposed a rescue protocol using Brentuximab Vedotin (50 mg) and Bendamustine (100 mg).
According to international phase II studies, this combination achieves complete response rates of between 50 and 70% in relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphomas, making it a potentially curative option for the young patient.
The problem is that neither of the two medications is available in Cuba.
"Currently, the medical team is proposing a treatment with Brentuximab Vedotin 50 mg vials and Bendamustine 100 mg vials, but this is not available in our country, and to obtain it we must pay for it out of our own pockets," the mother explained.
The minimum cost for three sessions amounts to 7,200 dollars, an unattainable figure for the family.
The young man's aunt also contacted this media outlet directly to increase awareness of the case: "After not achieving a complete remission with the first line of treatment, he is at home in Havana waiting for a rescue protocol," she wrote.
And he added: "I urge your assistance in ensuring this message reaches donors or humanitarian institutions. Time is of the essence."
The Nodular Sclerosing Hodgkin Lymphoma has a five-year overall survival rate of over 80-90 percent with appropriate treatment, making it a potentially curable cancer.
Fernando is 19 years old and has a real chance of healing if he receives his medication on time.
Those who wish to collaborate can contact Lorayne Horscheck via WhatsApp at +1 786-227-3974, by email at loraynehorscheck@gmail.com, or through Instagram at the account horscheck.
"Today, with humility and hope, we ask for help to raise the money. Thank you for reading, for sharing, and for any support you can provide to our son," his mother concluded.
This case is not an exception but rather a reflection of a crisis of oncology medications in Cuba that has been documented for years by the Free Cuban Medical Guild.
Bendamustine is among the chronically unavailable cytostatics, and BioCubaFarma, the only producer of injectable cytostatics in the country, has reported persistent shortages due to a lack of funding and raw materials.
The Cuban government confirmed in 2023 a "significant" deficit of cancer drugs. Brentuximab Vedotin, a high-tech monoclonal antibody manufactured by Takeda, has never been available in the Cuban public system.
Despite being the main national referral center with 43 specialties and one of the most specialized hematology services in the country, the Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital cannot provide medications that the State does not supply.
This pattern is repeated in multiple cases of cancer patients who have had to resort to public solidarity campaigns to finance treatments that the government is unable to provide.
This is not the first time that Cuban families are facing this situation.
In 2023, family members requested humanitarian visas for a Cuban child with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, and in 2024, a young woman from Pinar del Río reported that her cancer was treatable, but not in Cuba, highlighting the severity of the healthcare crisis.
The Nodular Sclerosing Hodgkin Lymphoma has a five-year overall survival rate of over 80-90 percent with appropriate treatment, making it a potentially curable cancer.
Fernando is 19 years old and has a real chance to heal if he receives the medication on time.
Those who wish to collaborate can contact Lorayne Horscheck via WhatsApp at +1 786-227-3974, by email at loraynehorscheck@gmail.com, or through Instagram at the account horscheck.
"Today, with humility and hope, we ask for help to raise the money. Thank you for reading, for sharing, and for any support you can give to our son," concluded his mother.
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