The family of Dania Valdez Jiménez, a 24-year-old from Pipián, Madruga, in Mayabeque, has issued an urgent plea for help on Facebook to find O positive blood donors, following her admission in critical condition at the Hermanos Ameijeiras Clinical Surgical Hospital in Havana.
According to the testimony of those close to her, Dania is experiencing a rejection episode of the liver that was transplanted when she was about a year and a half old, a procedure that was reportedly carried out in Spain following a partial donation from her own mother.
The family reports that Dania has required several blood transfusions and that her hemoglobin levels are around six, a level that may indicate severe anemia, although this data needs to be confirmed by the treating medical team.
The required blood type is O positive (O+). Those who wish to help should contact the Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital directly to verify whether the donation is still needed, the requirements, and the corresponding procedure.
Family members can also be contacted directly: Irma, Dania's mother, at 55024127; Danay, her sister, at 52013823; and Dania herself at 54644745.
In addition to seeking blood donors, the family is looking for guidance from institutions, organizations, or specialists who can assess the case and determine what medical alternatives are available, including a possible transfer abroad.
"Any additional treatment or potential transfer abroad must be evaluated by professionals who are familiar with your medical history," their loved ones indicated.
Dania is the mother of a four-year-old boy, which adds urgency to the request from her family, friends, and neighbors, who are trying to mobilize all the possible help.
The case is set against a sustained blood donation crisis in Cuba, where donations fell from 357,665 in 2020 to 254,845 in 2023, a reduction of nearly 29%, according to data from the National Office of Statistics and Information cited by independent media.
The shortage of reagents, preservation equipment, collection bags, and transportation for mobile banks exacerbates the problem, forcing families of critically ill patients to turn to social media to find donors, due to the healthcare system's inability to ensure supply.
In 2024, an activist reported the informal sale of blood through social media for patients at the Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital, highlighting the extent of the system's deterioration.
This is not the first case of a Cuban family seeking public solidarity in response to a medical emergency of this nature. In March 2024, little Amanda Lemus Ortiz underwent a liver transplant in Madrid following a solidarity campaign that facilitated her transfer to Spain, with her father as a partial donor.
The Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital is the main national referral center for liver transplants in Cuba.
Rejection of the transplanted organ can occur even years after the procedure and is typically treated by adjusting the immunosuppressive medication, although in complex cases, a retransplantation or specialized care abroad may be required.
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