Katy López, the mother of six-year-old Yoslany Herrera López, is making a heartfelt plea for a humanitarian visa to enable her son to receive treatment for his cystic fibrosis, a diagnosis that is particularly grim in Cuba. As Katy explains in an interview with CiberCuba, Yoslany was identified with this genetic disorder, primarily affecting the lungs, at the tender age of two. Since then, he has been hospitalized 69 times.
In addition to his cystic fibrosis, Yoslany suffers from severe malnutrition, and recent hospital visits have confirmed the dire condition of one of his lungs. "They offered us no hope," Katy remarked, emphasizing the urgency of obtaining a humanitarian visa. Her hope is pinned on accessing advanced therapies available outside Cuba, such as the U.S.-approved Trikafta treatment, which has been used since 2019 for patients over 12 with the most common cystic fibrosis mutation.
"In other countries, this disease is chronic, and with treatment, patients can lead longer lives. Here, it's a death sentence," Katy stressed. "You (the CiberCuba audience) are my only means to give my child a chance to live."
Yoslany's condition is "incredibly complex," requiring essential medications like antibiotics, vitamins, nebulizers, and phytotherapy, which are unattainable in Cuba. "That's just a dream here," she lamented.
With profound sorrow, Katy expressed her desire for her son to live. "I want to feel him with me, and if there's a chance, I want to exhaust every avenue to improve his quality of life, which he cannot have here in Cienfuegos," she concluded.
Katy's desperation mirrors that of another Cuban mother, Arlety Llerena Martínez, whose seven-year-old son, Jorgito Reina, is battling cancer and urgently needs a bone marrow transplant. Such procedures have not been conducted in Cuba for some time, as explained by the medical team. Jorgito has been waiting nearly a year for a humanitarian visa. Although U.S. Senator Marco Rubio attempted to expedite the process with USCIS, his involvement upset officials in Havana, leaving the case in limbo.