Related videos:
Yurisleidis Remedios, a Cuban mother, posted a desperate plea on Facebook on Friday seeking assistance to obtain a solar panel that would help keep the room where her three children sleep cool, as they have been diagnosed with infectious mononucleosis.
"I'M ASKING FOR HELP, MY CHILDREN HAVE A VIRUS THAT HAS NO CURE, IT'S CALLED INFECTIOUS MUNOCLOSIS [...] they cannot become dehydrated or sweat, their lymph nodes are affected at this moment. Please, I need someone who can help me with a solar panel [...] if my children sweat at night, they could suffer complications," the woman wrote.
The images accompanying the post show her three children sleeping on a mattress placed directly on the ground under a mosquito net in a porch.
The publication includes medical documents signed by Dra. Camila Amat Fong, which support the diagnosis of the minors.
Infectious mononucleosis, caused by the Epstein-Barr virus and commonly known as "the kissing disease," leads to fever of up to 40.5°C, intense night sweats, swollen lymph nodes, and extreme fatigue. Although there is no specific antiviral treatment, the illness is self-limiting and resolves in three to four weeks with rest, hydration, and pain relievers.
Yurisleidis's concern about night sweats is medically grounded: high fever combined with extreme heat—without ventilation due to chronic blackouts—can worsen dehydration and general discomfort, especially when lymph nodes are swollen and there is a potential liver or spleen involvement.
The post generated divided comments. User Dianelys Garcia clarified that the illness "is self-limiting and disappears" and that it does not pose a risk to life. She recounted that her own daughter suffered from it, recovered, and is now 34 years old. Ynamsay Estrada, 57 years old, shared that she suffered from the same illness as a child, was treated at William Soler Hospital and Avalí Hospital, underwent a biopsy, and "after the age of 10, I haven't had any more lymph nodes, and I've felt very healthy."
However, the user Linda Cubana came to the mother's defense: "It’s unbelievable to scroll through the post and see some comments downplaying the illness of children... only a mother knows how it feels when her children are sick, especially in a country where there is nothing."
The case is set against the worst energy crisis Cuba has faced in decades. In June 2026, the country records electrical deficits of between 1,780 and 2,200 MW, with blackouts lasting up to 26 hours a day in Havana and outages of up to two consecutive days in the provinces. Only eight out of 16 thermal power plants are operational.
The case of Yurisleidis is not an isolated one. In April, the humanitarian project "Giving is Giving" launched an urgent campaign to purchase portable power stations for six children with severe illnesses in Pinar del Río, whose lives depend on electric medical equipment.
In March, a solidarity campaign raised funds to install solar panels in the homes of sick girls in Cuba, and in February, a man with severe disabilities in Villa Clara made the same desperate plea due to chronic blackouts.
This month, six Catalan municipalities donated 20,000 euros to install solar panels at the Rural Hospital Center of Songo la Maya, in Santiago de Cuba, where power outages exceed 20 hours daily, demonstrating how much the lack of electricity has become a direct threat to the health of the most vulnerable Cubans.
Filed under: