The Cuban influencer Claudia Artiles shared an emotional video on TikTok last Saturday where she recalled that, three years ago, her son Marlon — who has Down syndrome — underwent an open-heart surgery when he was just six months old.
"On a day like today three years ago, I was facing one of the most difficult moments of my life. Marlon, at just six months old, was undergoing open-heart surgery. I knew that the surgery was necessary, but I don't think any mother is ever prepared to hand over her baby without knowing anything for hours," Claudia recounted, visibly emotional.
The content creator, based in Miami, described that day as a mix of fear and faith: "That day I felt a lot of fear, but all I did was ask God for everything to turn out well, and it did."
What came next was equally hard. The post-operative recovery proved particularly challenging because Claudia faced that process almost entirely alone, without family or a support network in the country. "I was alone in this country, I didn't have family, I didn't have anyone, just dad at that time," she explained, referring to Marlon's biological father.
Three years later, the situation is radically different. "Marlon is a happy boy, Marlon is a boy who plays," said Claudia, although she acknowledged that the little one bears a scar on his chest as a permanent reminder of that battle.
September 20 is a date that Claudia cannot overlook. "Every September 20, I have a really hard time. It's a day that reminds me that I'm incredibly strong as a mother and as a woman," she confessed.
The video, however, was not just a personal memory exercise. Claudia specifically dedicated it to other mothers who might be going through similar situations right now: "Maybe there’s a mom out there who is going through a tough time, is in a hospital right now, and doesn’t see a way out, doesn’t see any hope. I want my video to reach you."
His message was direct and to the point: "I want you to feel that you are not alone. Never stop having hope. Whatever process you are going through, you will get through it. Never lose faith."
According to Down21, congenital heart diseases affect approximately half of the children with Down syndrome, and corrective surgeries are typically performed early —between three and six months of age— with a good prognosis when the intervention is timely, as was the case with Marlon.
Since she started on social media, Claudia has transformed her son's upbringing into a platform for visibility regarding inclusion and Down syndrome. Marlon celebrated his third birthday in March with a big party, and his current partner, fellow content creator Ultrack (Jorge Batista), has taken on a paternal role with the child, something Claudia publicly thanked in April with the words: “Thank you for loving him as your own”.
The video accumulated over 186,000 views and 26,500 “likes” in just a few days, with hundreds of comments from followers who shared their own experiences. Claudia concluded the message with a phrase that captures the spirit of the entire story: “Watching this video, you can as a mom, and your child can too.”
Filed under: