A Cuban mother broke down in tears upon receiving a nebulizer from priest Leandro NaunHung of the San José Obrero parish in Santiago de Cuba, in an emotional video posted on Facebook that reflects the desperation of thousands of families amid the collapse of the healthcare system on the Island.
The woman, visibly moved, explained that the device changes her life because there are no aerosols available in Cuban hospitals to treat her son with asthma.
"Thanks to this, my son no longer has to go to a hospital to get an inhaler that isn’t available. Every time my son would arrive at the hospital, they told me he was going for therapy. Now, with this at home, I can give him the treatment. I am infinitely grateful to you; you have no idea what you've done for me," she declared in tears.
The priest handed him the equipment, along with several vials of salbutamol medication.
The mother was very emotional, unaware even of the donor's name: "Wow, I thank them for life. I don't know who the person is, but I am grateful. Thank you very much. Blessings to you."
The scene is not an exception but a portrayal of a health crisis that the Cuban regime has been unable to resolve.
In Cuba, 461 out of the 651 medications in the national essential drug list are missing, according to data from April 2026, which means that only 190 drugs are available.
The shortage of aerosols and inhalers for respiratory diseases is one of the most reported issues: in May, patients in Güines, Mayabeque, reported the complete absence of salbutamol and fluticasone, as well as a lack of oxygen in polyclinics and hospitals.
In November 2025, the situation in Matanzas was equally alarming: the Milanés hospital had no nebulizer attachments, the Pediatric hospital had just five, and Playa hospital had only six.
The minister of Health, José Ángel Portal Miranda, acknowledged in February that the system was "on the verge of collapse," with impacts on maternal and child care, cancer treatment, and hemodialysis.
While the State fails, Father NaunHung has become one of the most visible faces of the solidarity that fills the gap left by government neglect.
In April, he provided a walker to a man with Parkinson's who could barely walk, and in May he shared a video of a rural child receiving a donated pair of boots with a joy that moved thousands.
The priest also runs a community kitchen in his parish that feeds vulnerable children and families in Santiago de Cuba, and in April it fell victim to theft: the cauldron and cooking utensils were stolen. His response was brief and resolute: "We will get another cauldron".
The United Nations stated in May that more than 100,000 patients are waiting for postponed surgeries in Cuba, including over 11,000 children. Infant mortality on the Island increased from 3.9 per thousand live births in 2018 to 9.9 in 2025, according to data from the Cuban Ministry of Public Health itself.
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