A man and woman from Memphis visited family in Cuba in the summer of 1959, the very same year Fidel Castro came to electricity there.
The man, Bill Rodriguez, was a descendant of the Bacardi rum family, whose business soon would certainly be nationalized by Castro.
His wife, Madeline, was pregnant along with their third son. They named him or her Bret, after the TV cowboy Bret Maverick.
Bret Rodriguez was born in Memphis a few months after his very first quest to Cuba. He grew up in Memphis, where his father worked at Buckeye Cellulose for a lot more compared to 30 years.
Last September, Bret went spine to Cuba on behalf of the Memphis-based International Children’s Heart Foundation, which he serves as president.
Pope Francis was visiting Cuba at the very same time.
“Service is never ever ideological,” Francis said throughout an outdoor mass at Revolution Square, “for we do not serve ideas. We serve people.”
That’s specifically why Bret joined Cuba.
“This isn’t regarding Cuba or politics or ideology,” said Bret, that additionally works along with the Bacardi Family Foundation.
“This is regarding a sick child.”
That child, Manuel “Manolito” Alejandro Martinez, was born in Cuba a month after Pope Benedict’s visit in 2012.
Manuel’s mother, Yaimara, is a physician. When she saw her baby’s blue arms and legs, she knew.
Manolito was born along with significant heart defects that eventually would certainly require surgery.
Cuba has actually surgeons that could repair Manolito’s heart, however a U.S. trade embargo, in place because 1960, has actually kept it from acquiring vital medical equipment.
Yaimara spent the very first year in shock, refusing to leave her baby’s side.
“I knew he could die at any kind of moment,” she said. “And if he was going to die, it was going to be in my arms.”
Manolito experienced heart failure at 3 months, after that stabilized. Yaimara started writing letters to America.
She wrote to children’s hospitals in Boston, Baltimore, Miami, Atlanta, asking them if they would certainly repair her child’s heart. They all of said no.
Last June, Manolito took a turn for the worse. His defective heart couldn’t sustain pace along with his growing body.
Yaimara found a list of Worldwide organizations that helped Youngsters along with medical problems. She kept writing.
“I believe in God,” she said. “I told God that if he wanted Manolito to live, offer me a solution.”
Bret got Yaimara’s letter last July, the very same month Cuba and the U.S. reopened their embassies.
He wanted to tips the family, however he wasn’t sure exactly what the heart foundation would certainly be allowed to do.
President Barack Obama had agreed to normalize relations between the 2 countries, however Congress refused to end the trade embargo.
Bret couldn’t grab the medical equipment that would certainly save Manolito’s life in to Cuba.
Travel restrictions between the 2 countries had eased, however Cuba was concerned regarding allowing professionals to leave.
Bret wasn’t sure Manolito’s parents would certainly be allowed to delivering him or her to Memphis. Yaimara Hernandez is a neuro-ophthalmologist. Her husband, Luis Martinez, is an electrical engineer.
Bret flew to Havana in September to visit two families — Manolito’s and his own.
Bret is a sixth-generation Bacardi. His great-grandfather was Facundo Bacardi, an immigrant from Spain that started a small distillery in Santiago, Cuba.
His grandfather was Emilio Bacardi, one of the heroes of Cuba’s war of independence from Spain. He later was elected mayor of Santiago.
His American mother was born in Pennsylvania. He calls themselves “the blonde Cuban.”
When he walked in to Manolito’s house in September, he was wearing a white Panama hat. Manolito took one consider Bret and saw his preferred cowboy, the mythical blonde American cowboy he’d seen in TV cartoons.
“Pecos Bill!” he shouted.
As soon as the visit was over, Pecos Bret began rounding up individuals to tips him or her delivering Manolito to Memphis.
Cuba’s foreign minister and U.S. ambassador agreed to help. So did the U.S. State Department and Memphis congressman Steve Cohen.
LeBonheur Children’s Hospital is providing all of medical services.
Gift of Life Mid-South and local Rotary Clubs, which delivering Third Globe Youngsters to Memphis for lifesaving heart surgery, is sponsoring the family.
A Memphis surgeon is expected to repair Manolito’s defective heart When Monday.
“Everyone has actually been so friendly, so helpful,” Yaimara said. “We enjoy this city.”
Last Saturday, Manolito and his parents checked in to the FedExFamilyHouse.
“Wow, es tan limpia (it’s so clean),” Manolito told his mother.
“‘Wow’ is his preferred English word now,” Yaimara said.
And Pecos Bret is his preferred Cuban-American cowboy.
from Golden Land Travel http://ift.tt/1R2qRmx
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