“Joy + Health”: Solidarity arriving in containers to Cardenas (+photos).

When the container arrives in Cárdenas, it will not only be medical equipment that will be unloaded. It will be the materialization of a powerful idea: that in difficult times, shared humanity can overcome any problem, solidarity.

While the blockade intensifies its siege against Cuba, a special shipment will arrive in Cuban ports in July: the second container of the “Alegría + Salud” project, full of state-of-the-art medical equipment destined for the Julio Miguel Aristegui Villamil Hospital in the municipality of Cárdenas.

Behind this initiative is Adriano Solidarie, a European with a Cuban soul, whose personal story led him to turn solidarity into a reason for living.

The shipment includes computers to modernize the hospital’s systems, dialysis equipment, a cardiac ultrasound machine and sterilizers, among other medical resources.

“We are computerizing the hospital step by step,” Adriano explains from Belgium, where he lives. «But more than equipment, we are bringing hope. In Cuba I have learned that dignity is not measured in resources, but in the ability to resist and share what little you have.»

The shipment takes on special relevance in a context where the blockade prevents Cuba from acquiring medical equipment normally. For Cardenas, these resources will mean more accurate diagnoses, more effective treatments and, ultimately, lives saved.

From pilot to angel of solidarity

Adriano’s story seems like something out of a movie script. Portuguese by birth, he worked as a pilot until an accident cut short his career. Far from being discouraged, he redirected his life towards altruism.

From his first trip to Cuba in 2019, he was captivated by the warmth of its people and the professionalism of its doctors, despite working in extremely difficult conditions. “When I saw how Cuban doctors work with the bare minimum, I knew I had to help,” he confesses.

Adriano insists that this project would not be possible without the collaboration of many people: from the Cuban health authorities to the hospital workers in Cardenas.

“I especially want to thank the doctors and nurses who give their best every day,” he says. “They are the real heroes of this story.”

The shipment of the container is just one part of a larger project that seeks to sustainably improve the quality of medical care in the region. “It’s not easy, but with faith and perseverance, we are making it,” Adriano adds.

In a world where individualism prevails, gestures like Adriano’s show that international solidarity can break through even the most rigid siege.

When the container arrives in Cardenas, it will not only be medical equipment that will be unloaded. It will be the materialization of a powerful idea: that in difficult times, shared humanity can overcome any problem, solidarity.

Written by Jessica Mesa.