The death of Aniari Barrientos Vázquez, a young mother of 26 who passed away after giving birth in Santiago de Cuba, has left four children without their mother and a family plunged into grief and hardship.
While her family demands answers about the circumstances of her passing, her husband must face the care of their children alone, including a newborn who is still hospitalized, lacking the sufficient resources to meet their most basic needs.
The activist Nairobis Sánchez has shared three posts on Facebook to raise awareness about the father's situation and gather support for him. In addition to facing the death of his wife after ten years of marriage, he is struggling to feed his children and meet the needs of his hospitalized baby.
A single father, four children, and no money to meet their needs
After Aniari's death, her husband was left to care for their three older children, aged nine, seven, and five, while the newborn remains hospitalized. The family lives on the Punta Gorda road, in the Altamira area of Santiago de Cuba, according to information shared by Nairobis.
The man works as a fisherman, but he is currently facing a particularly difficult economic situation. During his visit to the home, the activist was able to witness the conditions of extreme humility in which the family lives.
"This man has been left to care for his three children at home while his baby remains hospitalized. He has been unable to visit the hospital for four days due to a lack of money, and the loss of his wife has left him with immense pain; he cried out in anguish and doesn’t know what to do," he revealed in another post.
"They need our help: milk for when the baby is discharged, food for their children, and a multipurpose pot," he detailed.
The situation portrays a double tragedy: the mourning for the death of a mother and the daily struggle to survive amidst poverty. While the father tries to support his four children, the lack of resources even jeopardizes his ability to be by the newborn's side during her hospitalization.
The assistance received does not yet cover all the needs
In response to the situation, Nairobis has launched a solidarity campaign to secure food, assistance for transportation to the hospital, and other essential resources.
He thanked those who have already helped, but warned that the family still needs assistance.
In his third report, he reported that he had obtained several pounds of milk, rice, beans, sugar, sweets, and cleaning products, as well as 26,000 pesos.
"We still need a multifunctional pot, because they live in an apartment building and cooking with firewood creates smoke that bothers the neighbors, and a washing machine, even if it's used, because it needs to wash a lot. We also need clothes for the children and an affordable means of transport to deliver the collected donations," she emphasized.
Those interested in collaborating can call the number +53 63687051.
"I don’t want this family to feel alone. I want their story to reach far, for their children to receive the support they need, and for this father to find the strength to move forward," he stressed.
A death surrounded by questions
According to information previously published by CiberCuba, Aniari was admitted on September 23 to the Dr. Juan Bruno Zayas Alfonso General Clinical Surgical Hospital. Her relatives reported that the following day she was moved to a room where labor would be induced. There, they began administering IV fluids, but then her health condition worsened.
The family reported that for almost two days they received insufficient and contradictory information about the young woman's condition and were unable to see her. On the afternoon of Sunday, September 27, they were informed that she had passed away and were given her body.
One of the most chilling aspects of the complaint is that, upon receiving the body, they allegedly found worms in her hair. The hospital director, Dr. Tamara Hodelín, reportedly described the family members as ungrateful for not acknowledging the efforts that, according to her, the center made to save the young woman.
Nairobis Sánchez gathers the testimony of the husband, who claims that his wife did not receive adequate medical attention and that she was not given a blood transfusion. He also asserts that, when he learned what had happened, the body showed signs of advanced decomposition.
The family demands to know the treatments that Aniari received, the exact circumstances of her passing, and the reasons why they were not informed clearly and promptly about the seriousness of her condition.
The case fits into a pattern of deaths associated with the decline of maternal and child care in Cuba. The official maternal mortality rate on the Island increased from 40.6 per 100,000 live births in 2024 to 44.1 in 2025, according to the Ministry of Public Health itself.
A tragedy that also highlights the country's crisis
The case of Aniari cannot be reduced to a donation campaign.
Solidarity can alleviate urgent needs, but the responsibility of securing food, milk, clothing, and basic necessities for four children to thrive after losing their mother should not fall on citizens and activists. The precarious situation in which this family lives reflects a broader reality: households that can barely meet their nutritional needs, workers whose incomes are insufficient, and parents who are forced to choose between going to a hospital or addressing other essential needs.
The impoverishment of large segments of the population exacerbates the vulnerability of families when a tragedy occurs. In this case, the lack of money reported by Nairobis has prevented the father from going to the hospital for several days, while his newborn daughter remains hospitalized.
The death of Aniari Barrientos Vázquez must be investigated thoroughly. It is the duty of institutions to ensure adequate medical care, inform the family, and be accountable when deaths occur amidst serious allegations. The family deserves to know what care was provided, what caused her death, and why there were days without sufficient information. Health authorities must provide documented explanations.
While those answers arrive, four children need food, clothing, and care, and a father is trying to rebuild his life after losing his wife. Nairobis Sánchez's campaign aims to ensure they are not left abandoned. However, solidarity, no matter how necessary, cannot serve as an excuse for the State to evade its responsibilities in the face of a crisis that affects the entire population.
The Juan Bruno Zayas Hospital, where Aniari is reported to have passed away, has multiple complaints against it. Last week, the family of a neighbor from the locality of Nuevo Bamba, in the Palma Soriano municipality, complained about his death due to delays and lack of medications.
Nairobis Sánchez is a Santiago activist who uses social media to raise awareness about families in crisis and connect them with supportive individuals both inside and outside of Cuba.
In recent weeks, the case of a seven-month-old baby whose mother had passed away, that of a single mother with a baby who has Down syndrome and a heart murmur, and the case of a family with a baby suffering from severe scabies, for which a Cuban resident in the United States donated a crib, food, and 17,000 Cuban pesos was made public.
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