Two girls from Havana are now in a state of extreme vulnerability following the death of their mother, a 20-year-old who passed away from leukemia and bone cancer. Meanwhile, their grandfather, their only caregiver, is seeking help to keep them together, as reported on social media this Friday.
The young mother, only 20 years old, passed away after battling an illness that, as her father shared in several videos circulated on Facebook by content creator Yai Savón, was diagnosed when it had already reached an advanced stage.
The paternal grandfather recounted that for four months they did not realize the seriousness of the illness until the young woman was transferred to the Institute of Hematology in Havana.
"We detected the illness very late; they sent her home so that she would pass away," she said tearfully. According to her account, the young woman survived only seven days after returning home.
After his death, the man was left in charge of his two granddaughters, but he stated that he does not have the basic conditions to care for them. The family does not have a stove or refrigerator and cooks on the street, in front of a local church.
"We don't have housing conditions, we don't have a stove, we don't have warmth. We're lacking many things and we cook in the street. We go through a lot of trouble," the grandfather recounted.
The only income he receives is a state subsidy of 1,500 Cuban pesos, an amount with which he must meet the needs of the minors. The precarious situation also forced him to separate one of the girls from the home and place her "on a waiting list," the elderly man explained.
The father of the minors is currently serving mandatory military duty and cannot leave his responsibilities without authorization. For this reason, the grandfather publicly requested that the authorities grant him leave so he can return and take care of his daughters.
"Those were her wishes, that he would be here helping me, because I am old, I feel tired," he expressed.
According to Savón, the young woman expressed as her final wish to be cremated and for her ashes to remain in the family home. Meanwhile, her two daughters found themselves facing a vulnerable situation after their mother's death.
The case adds to a series of similar situations that have touched the Cuban diaspora in recent months. In recent weeks, 45 children with cerebral palsy in Cuba received care thanks to citizen solidarity in the face of state neglect.
Likewise, a nine-year-old girl in Santa Clara was facing a crisis due to a lack of supplies for her hemodialysis. In all these cases, the diaspora and content creators on social media have filled the void left by the state.
The Cuban Observatory of Human Rights estimated in August that 94% of Cubans live in extreme poverty, and that nearly 34% of households had a member who went to bed hungry in the 30 days prior to the study.
Those who wish to help the two girls can contact Savón through their Facebook profiles, where the videos were posted under the hashtags #yaiycarliayudan and #cubanosporelmundo, along with phone numbers.
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