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Maydaned Acosta, a single mother residing in Guanajay, Artemisa province, posted a desperate message in the Facebook group "Economic Aid Foundation for Cuba" asking for assistance to support her 12-year-old daughter, who suffers from a gastrostomy and is unable to eat orally.
The girl, who weighs barely 23 kilograms —almost half the weight expected for her age—, is awaiting a surgical operation that the doctors cannot perform until she gains weight.
"My daughter is 12 years old, she has a gastrostomy and cannot eat orally, only liquid foods. She is awaiting surgery but needs to gain weight," Maydaned wrote in her post.
The mother recounts that about a month ago she lost her job after being forced to choose between caring for her sick child and keeping her job.
"I am a single mother, Cuban, and a month ago I lost my job because my son got sick, and well, I had to choose between taking care of my child and keeping my job," she explained.
Without close family in Guanajay to support her with childcare, Maydaned describes a situation of complete exhaustion.
One of the most urgent problems is the shortage of basic medical supplies: enteral feeding syringes and gastric tubes are practically impossible to obtain in Cuba, and when they are available, they are sold at unattainable prices.
"The same probe, which becomes a nightmare every time it breaks and needs to be replaced, is sold at high prices," the mother reported, also pointing out the lack of medical supplies to care for her daughter.
This scenario is not isolated. The collapse of the Cuban healthcare system has left pediatric hospitals without essential supplies, and the number of sick children without adequate care has multiplied in recent years.
According to a study by El País, the shortage of probes and medical supplies in Cuban hospitals endangers the lives of patients on a daily basis.
In Guanajay, the crisis is further exacerbated by food shortages: the regulated bread in Artemisa is distributed only on alternate days due to a lack of flour, and the prices of basic food items far exceed the minimum wage.
In the face of state inaction, civic solidarity on social media has become a lifeline for survival.
The publication by Maydaned generated dozens of responses from people willing to help with money, syringes, and other supplies.
A mother from the Isle of Youth, who also has a daughter with a gastrostomy, offered to donate a gastric button: "I have one 18, it's a button, it's attached to the stomach and is easier to handle. How can I get it to you?" wrote Yudalmis Bauza.
Maydaned shared their phone number (59306400) and the number of their bank card (9205-1299-7452-2154) for those who wish to contribute.
"I am a young mother who has always worked at any job because I am not afraid of hard work, but today I feel overwhelmed, exhausted, and I have no resources to continue. Everyone who knows me knows that I have always fought tirelessly, and if today I am putting my children in this situation, it is because I have hit rock bottom," she concluded.
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