By Jay Amberg Bloomberg Lifestyles. Bloomberg.com. Wed, 16 Aug 2000, 1:09pm EDT
Havana, Aug. 18 -- There's no easy way to tell the story of a 6-year-old Cuban boy who died because the drugs needed to save his life simply weren't available to Cuban doctors.
Christian Basilio Lopez was diagnosed in June with pH- positive acute lymphocytic leukemia.
When he died on July 4, about two weeks after his sixth birthday, he was being treated in Havana's William Soler Pediatric Hospital, where some of Cuba's best-trained doctors and nurses work and where they treat children from all over the island who suffer from cancer.
Christian's death was called to my attention by Bob Eiselman, a California-based attorney who has an affinity for the Cuban people, especially suffering children.
Over the years, Eiselman has made numerous humanitarian trips to Cuba, including a visit last year to help Havana's Jewish community restore one of its old synagogues in time for Passover.
Vivacious Child
His most recent mission was to save the life of Christian, but as he now laments, he arrived too late.
"I met Christian and his family (Kiki, his father, worked at the Havana's La Corona Cigar factory and most recently at the Partagas La Casa del Habano retail cigar shop) during the course of various travels to Cuba,'' Eiselman said.
"The family and I had lunches and dinners together and we'd all play with Christian and his 3-year-old sister,'' he said.
Like 6-year-olds throughout the world, Christian was a vivacious, outgoing and energetic boy.
Eiselman said when he heard from Christian's father that the boy he was watching grow up had been diagnosed with cancer, he was devastated.
"I learned Christian was in dire need of drugs that were unavailable in Cuba,'' Eiselman said. "So, I mobilized various private and corporate sources to secure everything from chemotherapy drugs to catheters and other medical supplies, plus toys, stuffed animals, clothing, soap,
shampoo and toothpaste.''
With the cooperation of the U.S. government, which expedited issuance of travel and export licenses, and the Republic of Cuba, which quickly granted him a visa, Eiselman left for Havana with his supply of life-saving drugs in the first week of July.
"I'm sad to say it was too little and too late,'' Eiselman said. "Christian died of a horrible infection that he might have been able to fend off if he had the medicine that would have enabled him to produce the necessary antibodies.''
Eiselman said he was overwhelmed with emotion as he walked through the children's cancer ward at the hospital.
"Forgetting the politics, religion, ideology or history that pertains to the relations between Cuba and the U.S., how can anyone be righteous about what is, or isn't humane, when we (the U.S.), guardians of the Free World, will not permit a doctor to save a patient?'' Eiselman said.
"How can we allow a father to bury his precious 6-year-old son, when, if these medicines had been available in Cuba, the boy's life might have been saved?''
Cancer Ward
Eiselman said he began to question how many more children might survive to see their next birthday if the necessary medicines were available and U.S. medical teams were able to visit Cuba.
In the same ward where Christian died, there was a 4-year- old boy from Matanzas Province.
The boy's family were country people. They knew little about big-city life, but when the little boy got sick they dropped everything and rushed him to the hospital in Havana.
"The doctors told me the parents had been at the hospital day after day and week after week, pacing the halls, just hoping for a miracle,'' Eiselman said. "I saw this boy and gave the medicine I had brought for Christian to the doctor who was treating him.''
Leaving behind the medicine, some toys, stuffed animals, a baseball, small football and some clothes, Eiselman returned in a few days to see if his efforts were helping.
"I looked in the room and saw a little boy whose color was returning, jumping up and down on his bed wearing his new socks, underwear, T-shirt and hat while he played catch with his gracious mother,'' Eiselman said. "The delivery of the medicine was the miracle they had prayed for.''
Seeing Eiselman, the boy smiled and pressed himself against the window that separated him from visitors and reached out for a hug.
"I got down on my knees, pressed myself against the window where we hugged each other through the glass and wept at the gesture of gratitude exhibited by this little boy,'' Eiselman said.
Send Help
Once home, Eiselman said he was determined to continue to assist Cuban children stricken with cancer so he initiated the Havana End Leukemia Project (HELP).
"Any childhood disease is a tragedy, but one that brutally and rapidly takes the life of a 6-year-old boy and then threatens a 4-year-old is something unimaginable to me,'' Eiselman said. "We are all human beings who just might want to help out.''
To help, contact Eiselman at PMP No. 235, 564 La Sierra Drive, Sacramento, California 95864-7206, or call (916) 646-4020.
Eiselman said he plans to return to Havana's William Soler Pediatric Hospital later this year and hopes to have plenty of toys to distribute to the children and medicine to give to their doctors.
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