Cuban activist Nelson Álvarez, known on social media as El Porfiao, has issued a plea for help for a baby under one year old who is hospitalized in Havana and needs milk and cereals to gain weight. The infant suffers from a laryngeal cleft, three heart conditions, and gastroesophageal reflux, and has already undergone both a tracheotomy and a gastrostomy.
According to the child's mother, the baby is struggling to gain weight and requires specific foods that are not available at the Juan Manuel Márquez Pediatric Hospital in Marianao. "He currently weighs 3,700 grams, and I urgently need cereals and milk to help him gain some weight. We've been hospitalized for six, almost seven months now," she said.
El Porfiao shared the account numbers on his Facebook page where donors can send money to help this mother and her baby: CUP-9205959879504109 and MLC-9235959873600758. To confirm: 52523871.
In another post, Álvarez highlighted the plight of other children with serious medical conditions, many from low-income families, who also need supplies, food, and medications. "Time, friends, can be their greatest enemy, so let's get to work and not leave them alone," he urged.
"A campaign is costly for many reasons—travel, transportation, internet, purchasing everything that the mothers request, in short, the expenses are enormous. That's why we're asking for your cooperation with whatever you can contribute," El Porfiao emphasized.
He is also urgently seeking help for a seven-month-old girl who is hospitalized with malnutrition. The baby needs DPrev, a nutritional supplement recommended for patients with vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency.
Critical Needs for Hospitalized Children in Cuba
Given the serious conditions facing hospitalized children in Cuba, it is important to address some frequently asked questions about their needs and how people can help.
What specific foods are needed for the baby in Havana?
The baby urgently needs milk and cereals to help him gain weight.
How can people donate to help the baby and other children?
Donations can be sent to the account numbers shared by El Porfiao: CUP-9205959879504109 and MLC-9235959873600758. To confirm: 52523871.
What other medical conditions are affecting the baby?
The baby has a laryngeal cleft, three heart conditions, and gastroesophageal reflux, and has undergone a tracheotomy and a gastrostomy.