Cuban youth seeks help for a prosthesis, and his plea resonates on social media

A Cuban father of three young children sought help on Facebook to obtain a prosthesis after losing a leg just over a year ago and lacking financial resources.

Eddy Darío, a resident of the municipality of Cruces in the province of Cienfuegos, posted a message in donation and solidarity aid groups explaining that he needs an articulated knee and a size 26 orthopedic foot in order to have a prosthesis made for him in Cuba.

"A year and a few months ago, due to life's circumstances, I lost my left foot. I am in need of getting a prosthesis, as they are very expensive here, and I have no means to afford one," wrote the 30-year-old young man, who was a train driver.

According to what he mentioned, the difficult economic situation he is facing prevents him from accessing the necessary components, while he tries to support his family and care for his three children.

"I am not asking for money, only if someone has the opportunity to make a donation," he added in his post, in which he shared his contact numbers and personal address for those who may wish to help.

The case has generated displays of solidarity on social media, where users have shared the post in the hope of finding individuals or institutions able to help the resident of Cienfuegos.

The case adds to a long chain of Cubans with disabilities who, in the absence of a government response, turn to social media as their only means to obtain medical devices or work tools.

Another documented case is that of Yasmany Jasiel García Sánchez, a 24-year-old double amputee, also from Cruces, Cienfuegos, who publicly requested silicone attachments for his prosthetics in September 2022 because they were causing him injuries.

From the diaspora, Osmar González, a Cuban emigrant in Florida, launched a campaign on GoFundMe in December 2025 to fund a prosthesis costing between $40,000 and $50,000, successfully raising over $36,000 thanks to the widespread sharing of his story.

In January of this year, a young person with disabilities in Cuba regained mobility thanks to citizen donations that enabled him to acquire the battery for his wheelchair, serving as yet another example of how grassroots solidarity fills the gaps left by the State.

The structural crisis of the Cuban healthcare system, exacerbated by decades of dictatorship, has left people with disabilities without sufficient access to orthopedic prosthetics, rehabilitation supplies, or formal jobs adapted to their conditions.

In the absence of institutional support, Facebook has emerged as the primary platform for Cubans with disabilities seeking assistance, with dozens of documented cases between 2022 and 2026 where civic response —both within and outside the island— has been the only real support for those who need it most.