The Cuban presenter Aly Sánchez revealed this Wednesday in an Instagram video that her eldest daughter, Sophia Balmaseda, 14 years old, underwent spinal surgery in Miami, and that the recovery has been difficult for both the young girl and her parents.
In the video posted on her Instagram account, Aly explained that she wanted to take a moment to thank her followers for their messages without straying too far from her daughter's room. "I'm just stopping by quickly, as I don't want to leave Sophi alone for even a second to express my gratitude because I have so many, many messages, not just asking what happened to the girl, but also praying, and that means a lot to me," she said.
The presenter confirmed that it was a major procedure: "Sophi had significant spinal surgery, she is recovering, and the days have obviously not been easy." She noted that the medical team and the pediatrician have been closely monitoring Sophia's progress, although she acknowledged that parents always tend to worry more than necessary.
An X-ray that Aly shared in her posts shows two parallel metal rods and multiple pedicle screws along the entire spine, instrumentation compatible with a spinal fusion surgery for the correction of severe scoliosis or another major deformity.
The operation was performed at Nicklaus Children's Hospital in Miami, a leading center for pediatric spinal surgery in Florida, where more than 200 such procedures are carried out each year.
Despite the hardships of the days, Aly highlighted her daughter's strength. "Seeing her face all of this with such bravery has left me a lesson I won't forget. Sometimes we think it's us who need to be strong for our children, but in these days, she showed me that true strength can also come in tiny bodies," she wrote on Instagram.
The presenter also mentioned that she advised Sophia not to get ahead of herself mentally: "This morning I was telling her: don't focus on what you have to do later, but on the hour by hour."
The surgery took place just three weeks after Sophia graduated with multiple honors in science, music, volleyball, and the Conservatory of Music, a contrast that has particularly touched the family's followers.
The initial post about the operation, shared on Wednesday, gathered more than 56,600 likes and nearly 3,200 comments, including messages from the show El Gordo y la Flaca.
Aly concluded her message with a promise to her followers: "I promise you that when these days are over, which are the hardest for me, we will leave a little more history behind. I didn't want to let more days go by without you knowing that I am reading your messages whenever I have time. Thank you."
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