A baby with Down syndrome who has a heart murmur lives in extreme vulnerability in Santiago de Cuba with her single mother, Yarisel, who has gone days without eating.
The case was brought to light by activist Nairobis Sánchez through a post on Facebook in which he made an urgent appeal for humanitarian assistance.
"She is only four months old and is not to blame for the circumstances she has had to face," wrote Sánchez, who described Yarisel as "a humble woman, but clean and hardworking, who makes a living by selling on the street what people give her, while trying to get ahead alongside her daughter."
The little girl requires constant care and attention; due to her fragile condition, she was admitted just two days ago to the Dr. Juan de la Cruz Martínez Maceira Children's Hospital, and she continues to face a critical situation.
The conditions of the family home are so precarious that, on several occasions, mother and daughter have had to spend the night in the hospital. Currently, the baby is being cared for by an aunt because their home does not meet the minimum living standards.
Among the most urgent needs identified by Sánchez are a mattress, food, clothing, hygiene products, a blender, and a rechargeable fan "due to the heat where they live," the activist specified, who also requested a stroller that would greatly facilitate the transportation of the child.
The activist specifically requested that the woman not be judged. "No one completely knows what another person may be going through," he wrote.
Those who wish to help or learn more details about the case can contact the number +53 6368 7051. The family lives at Callejuela Interior 20, between Martí and Julián del Casar, Santiago de Cuba.
"If you can't collaborate, sharing this information may help the case reach people who do have that possibility," Sánchez concluded.
The story of Yarisel and her daughter is one of many amidst the humanitarian crisis affecting the country. According to the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights, extreme poverty affects 94% of Cubans.
In April, the Food Monitor Program (FMP) published a report titled "Economic Paralysis and Food Survival in Cuba" that documented critical levels of food insecurity in five provinces: Havana, Matanzas, Cienfuegos, Guantánamo, and Santiago de Cuba.
Nairobis Sánchez is an activist known in the eastern city for using social media to highlight situations of extreme vulnerability and mobilize citizen donations.
Days before this case, the situation of another seven-month-old baby whose mother passed away and was left in the care of her sister without basic resources was also publicized. This effort reflects the lack of effective social safety nets in Cuba, where citizen solidarity tries to fill in what the state does not provide.
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