The story of Maribel, an elderly Cuban who confessed to having gone up to three days without food alongside her son, who has mental health issues, in San Germán, Holguín, has taken an unexpected turn following the impact her case has had on social media.
Days after her situation was publicly reported, the woman received food and humanitarian aid thanks to an initiative led by the Facebook user Ángel Cardona, who visited her again to deliver donations.
“I thank God first and foremost… because sometimes we go three days without food. If it weren’t for my neighbors, I wouldn’t be alive,” expressed Maribel, visibly moved upon receiving the products, which included rice, oil, grains, pasta, and other basic foods that will allow her to survive for a few days.
In a new video, recorded inside his humble home—with deteriorated walls and precarious conditions—a table is seen overflowing with supplies, contrasting sharply with the extreme lack he had previously reported.
The woman assured that she had been praying constantly for help. “I know that God loves me because I pray a lot every day for someone good to help me,” she said. Shortly after receiving the donations, she reiterated, “God heard me.”
The Case of Maribel had shaken many Cubans both on the island and abroad after she recounted that she had no food, medicine, or basic living conditions. Her son, who suffers from a mental illness, also faces a lack of medical treatment in a context where medications are becoming increasingly inaccessible.
Although the assistance received provides immediate relief, the woman herself made it clear that her situation remains fragile and largely depends on the solidarity of others.
During the video, their address in San Germán was shared for those who wish to collaborate directly, while the promoters of the aid stressed the need to continue supporting vulnerable cases like this one.
Maribel's story not only reflects the human drama of a mother fighting to survive alongside her child, but also the cracks in a system unable to guarantee the most basic needs to those who need it the most. In the midst of scarcity, citizen solidarity once again becomes the only lifeline.
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