A video published on Facebook by the Cuban activist Norge Ernesto Díaz Blak, known as "Noly Blak," went viral as it showed the moment he handed 9,000 Cuban pesos to a father from Holguín who is raising his son with cerebral palsy alone after being abandoned by his wife.
In the video shared on social media, Noly Blak explains to the father that the money was donated by a Christian friend who works as a truck driver in the United States: "Robert, a Christian friend of mine who is a truck driver in the United States, sent me 9,000 pesos for you, knowing that you are struggling to eat."
The father breaks down in tears upon receiving the assistance. Before the money was handed to him, he had shared his situation with the activist: "I was praying out there, in the street, sir, help me, I have nothing for myself."
The child suffers from PCI, a condition that prevents him from holding up his neck due to a lack of muscle strength, and he is undergoing physical rehabilitation. In the video, the activist asks about the child's condition and the exercises being performed to try to regain mobility.
Noly Blak recalled in the video that the father had come to him previously seeking help: "Last time, you came to my house crying. Your wife had left you. And now you had a big income with the child. And your wife was out and about."
The activist also promised to arrange a special car for the child if more donations come in: "If a special car comes in, we will give it to him, you hear?" The father responded humbly: "We really need it."
The case reflects a painful and recurring reality in Cuba, where families with children with severe disabilities face extremely precarious conditions without adequate institutional support.
It is not the first time that Noly Blak has intervened in similar cases. In 2023, the Cuban government withdrew social assistance checks from a mother in Las Tunas with a daughter who has cerebral paralysis following the activist's efforts to bring attention to the case. In July 2025, he also intervened in the heart-wrenching story of a grandmother and her grandson in Gibara, Holguín, after the psychiatric hospitalization of the minor's mother.
In that case, Noly Blak stated that she preferred to purchase the necessary items directly and requested receipts to ensure transparency in the donations.
The Cuban diaspora abroad plays an increasingly important role as a support network for vulnerable families. Their donations and assistance address shortages that the Cuban regime has been unable to resolve after decades of economic crisis and deterioration of social services.
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