An online fundraising campaign has raised over 11.000 dollari to help finance spinal surgery for Lester Domínguez, a Cuban youth left paralyzed after a violent machete attack in Holguín more than three years ago, according to details published on the Crowdfunder platform. The campaign, organized from Las Vegas, Nevada, by an organizer identified as “Sunrise H,” seeks to reach a 50.000 dollari goal to pay for medical expenses in the United States.
Fundraising Campaign and U.S. Visa Status
According to the Crowdfunder page, the campaign has accumulated 269 donors and faces a deadline of September 21, 2026. In a video published to Facebook on Sunday, Lester Domínguez explained that he secured an urgent humanitarian visa to travel to the United States and pick it up on September 11, requiring 30 mila dollari specifically for his surgical procedure. Domínguez stated that donations bypass intermediaries and go directly to the hospital account where the operation will take place. He also asked the public to share his message and tag other users if they cannot donate.
Medical Urgency and Previous Injuries
Dennis Domínguez, Lester’s father, outlined the critical nature of his son’s medical condition on Facebook, stating that an inverted vertebra is progressively compressing his spinal cord and placing him at risk of total paralysis. According to the family, the compression has advanced to the point where Lester can no longer open his hands or independently maneuver his wheelchair. The youth’s injuries stem from a March 21, 2023, attack in San Germán, Holguín, when he was 16 years old and targeted during the theft of a Huawei mobile phone. The assault resulted in an incomplete C5 spinal cord injury, extensive intensive care treatment, mechanical ventilation, a tracheostomy, and secondary infections.
Legal Proceedings and Healthcare Access in Cuba
The perpetrator, identified as Adrián Grass Bermúdez, was arrested after authorities recovered Lester’s stolen phone buried in a courtyard, according to case records. The Provincial Prosecutor’s Office of Holguín requested a 20-year prison sentence for violent robbery and threats, plus an additional four years for continuous theft. An oral hearing took place on May 15, 2024, concluding with a sentence. Although medical professionals in August 2025 confirmed that Domínguez could undergo surgery in Cuba, the procedure never received a firm date due to severe strains within the national healthcare system, leaving the family without government assistance for over a year, according to statements from the youth’s father.