Anonymous Donor Contributes $4,000 to Help Cuban Girl Lía Reach Medical Fundraising Goal

On the occasion of Epiphany, five-year-old Cuban girl Lía Isabel García Torres received a heartening gift: an anonymous donor contributed $4,000 to her GoFundMe campaign, bringing her closer to covering the expenses for her medical treatment and stay in the United States to fight leukemia. This uplifting news was shared on Facebook by activist Lara Crofs, whose real name is Yamilka Lafita, emphasizing the significance of this anonymous donation: “Who says miracles don’t happen! Today holds promise.”

Thanks to this generous contribution, the fundraising campaign has reached 88% of its $30,000 goal, amassing over $26,000 to date. In her post, Crofs recounted the mix of worry and hope she experienced in the days leading up to receiving the news: “Last night, I went to bed concerned; these are challenging times to raise funds. Just yesterday, Lía’s mother mentioned that people would be, as we say in Cuba, ‘broke,’ because the year-end holidays, New Year, and Epiphany are tough on the wallet.”

The outlook shifted when fellow activist Idelisa Diasniurka Salcedo Verdecia excitedly delivered the news via WhatsApp with her trademark phrase ‘girl, look,’ a phrase Lafita associates with thrilling announcements. Lafita highlighted the anonymous donor’s generosity, respecting their wish to keep their identity private, and expressed gratitude to the Cuban community for their unwavering support.

“This puts us just a step away from achieving this goal in the race to save this baby girl,” she stated, buoyant and hopeful, concluding her message by thanking those who believe in the power of solidarity. Lía, residing in the province of Mayabeque, was diagnosed last year with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and has been treated at the Juan Manuel Márquez Pediatric Hospital in Havana, where she has faced adverse reactions to treatments and has been in intensive care.

Though Lía was able to return to the oncohematology ward, her treatment has been halted due to complications, as explained last October by activist Lafita in a social media post requesting financial support to facilitate the girl’s treatment in Florida, USA. Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami accepted Lía’s case, but her family will need to bear the costs of stay and treatment, as they don’t have relatives in the U.S., only friends to support them. For this reason, they are raising funds to cover these expenses.

Lafita and fellow activist Diasniurka Salcedo have been driving the campaign through their social media platforms, aiming to assist the family so the young girl can receive treatment at the renowned Florida medical institution. Last December, the campaign had raised nearly $16,000, just over half of the goal. However, in less than a month, it has approached the $30,000 target thanks to the generosity of many individuals.