Amanda Lemus Ortiz Undergoes Another Surgery in Spain

Amanda Lemus Ortiz, a young girl from Cuba, underwent surgery on Monday in a Spanish hospital to have a stent placed in her bile duct. The procedure was lengthy, but doctors were successful in their efforts, according to activist Yamilka Lafita, also known as Lara Crofs, who shared the update on Facebook. As of 3:00 pm Spanish time, Amanda remained in the operating room.

"The surgery was quite complicated because the duct was nearly closed, which is why it took so long. They are still with her, but the objective has been accomplished. We are waiting for her to come out of the operating room, but so far, everything is going well," detailed the activist.

About an hour and a half later, Lara Crofs relayed a message from Mila Ortiz, Amanda's mother, after the surgery was complete. "Everything is fine, thank God. They're still preparing her; I haven't seen her yet, but the doctors told me everything went well. It took a long time because it was complex, but the stent is in place. It was a major surgery, but now we wait for recovery," she explained.

Amanda had previously undergone a liver transplant in Spain last March. However, she was readmitted on November 27 due to persistent itching, which disrupted her sleep. An emergency ultrasound revealed that her bile duct was once again dilating. On November 28, an attempt to place a stent was thwarted by the narrowness of the duct, leading to the insertion of a drain to remove bile from her body. A week later, another attempt to access the duct failed.

"Doctors decided to proceed with surgery to try to rebuild the duct and insert the stent because, without it, her healthy liver could be compromised again," Lara explained last week. She called on her followers to pray for Amanda as she faced this new challenge.

The surgery was scheduled for early Monday morning. Earlier in November, seven months after Amanda's transplant in Madrid, which followed the Cuban healthcare system's failure to meet her needs, Lara shared a photo showing Amanda's remarkable progress. "Do you recognize that face? To me, it represents determination, the idea that 'where there's a will, there's a way,' and the unity of a civil society rallying for a greater, nobler cause," she remarked on her Facebook page.

Amanda's journey to survival began in January when her mother publicly apologized to her daughter in a viral message for bringing her into a country unable to meet her medical needs. Suffering from a severe liver disease, Amanda urgently needed a liver transplant, but Cuba's limitations made it impossible. A humanitarian visa was sought for her.

After weeks of campaigning supported by activists, independent media, and generous Cubans, the necessary funds were raised for Amanda and her parents to travel to Spain, where a hospital was willing to take on her case.