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The story of Valentina, a Cuban girl who has spent two years in a pediatric hospital, is shaking social media once again, but this time not because of her illness, but due to the controversy surrounding who made her return home possible.
While official media outlets like Radio Guamá attributed her medical discharge to “government-approved equipment,” a very different version has emerged from those who have closely followed the case and have been involved in her daily struggle.
According to a report on social media by Verónica C. Barrios, Valentina is not returning home due to state intervention, but rather thanks to the solidarity of dozens — or perhaps hundreds — of people both inside and outside of Cuba who came together to save her life.
The key was a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe, driven by journalist Mónica Baró Sánchez and highlighted internationally following an article published in the Spanish newspaper El País, authored by fellow journalist Carla Gloria Colomé Santiago. Thanks to this collective effort, the necessary funds were raised to acquire a photovoltaic system that ensures stable electricity in the girl's home, a vital requirement for her treatment.
That system —which includes solar panels and all the necessary infrastructure— was not only purchased with donations, but also installed thanks to the efforts of numerous individuals who were directly or indirectly involved in the cause.
"Valentina is leaving for her home tomorrow, thanks to everyone who was involved in the campaign, not thanks to some teams approved by the government that are not even in the family's hands," Barrios denounced with evident indignation.
The criticism targets not only an omission but also what many see as a distortion of reality: rendering the role of civil society invisible in a country where, increasingly, survival depends on collective assistance.
For two years, Valentina's story has been accompanied by campaigns, urgent calls, and gestures of support that reflect a Cuba where people organize to address structural deficiencies. Her return home is not just good news; it is also a testament to the power of solidarity in the face of the system's limitations.
Today, more than just celebrating a discharge from the hospital, many are celebrating something deeper: the ability of a community to come together to save a little girl. Because amidst scarcity and hardships, there are stories that don't belong to any official narrative, but to the people who chose not to look the other way.
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