An oral and maxillofacial surgeon from Cuba starred in an emotional scene at the Pepe Portilla Pediatric Hospital in Pinar del Río by giving a piggyback ride to a child after a surgical intervention, fulfilling a promise he had made to win the child's trust before the operation.
The protagonist is Dr. Luis Enrique Torres Rodríguez, who shared on Facebook two photographs of the moment and explained the story of the young patient, diagnosed with a condition that made it difficult for him to pronounce certain sounds.
According to the specialist, the child has partial ankyloglossia, a condition that restricts the movement of the tongue due to a short or restrictive lingual frenulum, which, in certain cases, can affect speech articulation.
The intervention had originally been planned under general anesthesia, but the trust established between the medical team and the young patient allowed the procedure to be performed using local anesthesia, according to the surgeon's report.
The entire team established an emotional connection that made it possible to proceed with local anesthesia, Torres explained in his post.
The doctor emphasized that the result was made possible thanks to the collective effort of the professionals involved in caring for the child, but it was the gesture after the operation that ultimately became the most heartwarming moment of the day.
Before the procedure, the specialist had promised the little one that he would carry him on his back, as adults often do when playing with children. And once the intervention was over, he fulfilled his promise.
"Promises made to children are kept," the specialist wrote while explaining the reason for the images.
Torres accompanied the post with a reflection on the importance of caring for pediatric patients with sensitivity and affection, especially when they have to undergo medical procedures that may cause them fear.
“What wouldn’t one do in this life to please a child, especially when it’s for a health issue?”, he expressed.
The images elicited numerous reactions of admiration and gratitude on Facebook, where users highlighted both the surgeon's attitude and the work of the team involved in the procedure.
"None of the first world technologies can replace love," wrote a person, who also hoped that the specialist's hands would continue healing patients.
Another reaction highlighted the treatment received by the little one: "What a human gesture from that team towards that child, especially from the one carrying him."
The comments also highlighted that healthcare is not just about performing a procedure correctly, but also about emotionally supporting patients and helping them feel secure.
"Beautiful gesture, doctor. It's wonderful to know how you enjoy your work bringing smiles back to children," another person expressed.
Among the responses, there was also the testimony of a mother who stated that the same specialist had previously operated on her son and expressed gratitude for the care received.
“You operated on my child, and I couldn't be more grateful and satisfied,” she wrote, before wishing health and blessings to the doctor and his team.
Another person acknowledged the dedication of Cuban professionals but noted the challenges faced by the country's healthcare system: "It's a pity that we have so many difficulties at the national level," they commented, while praising the ability of doctors to work even in adverse conditions.
The Pepe Portilla Pediatric Hospital has been the site of other notable interventions throughout 2026.
In September, a multidisciplinary team performed a percutaneous nephrolithotomy there for the first time, a minimally invasive procedure to remove kidney stones that had not been carried out at the center until then.
Months earlier, in April, neurosurgeons from the same hospital operated on a one-year-old girl with a brain tumor that caused her hydrocephalus, through an operation lasting approximately six hours that allowed for the complete removal of the lesion, according to the information released at that time.
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