Cuban Boy Rafael Botalín Travels Abroad for Surgery
HAVANA TIMES — Last Monday, Rafael Botalín, 15, left Cuba for medical treatment abroad. He is the Santiago boy who urgently needs surgery for an arteriovenous vascular malformation in the brain. A few weeks ago we wrote about his situation.
Rafael and his mother travelled with all expenses paid by the Cuban Public Health system. [At the request of the family we are not disclosing the country where he will be treated.] At the airport Cuban embassy staff waited for them to take them to the apartment where they reside. The following day, November 12, Rafaelito had his first medical consultation scheduled and he may already be admitted for the operation.
It’s nice to know that sometimes journalism contributes to things like this; somehow that reconciles us with the profession. We hope Rafael’s treatment is a success and we wish him the best.
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(*) Visit the website of Fernando Ravsberg.
I wish all the best for this boy & his family, for a full and rapid recovery.
The article says “At the request of the family we are not disclosing the country where he will be treated.”
There is only one country in the world which would be “awkward” to mention. If he was getting treatment in France, Spain, Russia, Canada, UK… there would be no secrecy. Therefore, we can all figure out where Rafael is. And we can reasonably conclude it wasn’t his family who objected to mentioning it, but rather the Cuban government who would be embarrassed to admit it.
Wonderful, God bless this young man.