A Mother's Hope: Cuban Girl's Fight Against Cancer in Miami

The heart-wrenching journey of Nicole Casellas, a three-year-old Cuban girl battling a severe pediatric cancer, has touched the hearts of the Miami community and thousands across and beyond the United States.

Her mother, Leydis Fernández, is reaching out for support to sustain their living situation and continue her daughter's expensive medical treatments.

According to a report by El Nuevo Herald, Nicole was diagnosed with metastatic neuroblastoma, a cancer that originates in nerve cells and can spread to vital organs.

Currently residing in Miami with her mother, having previously lived in Kentucky, Nicole has undergone 15 chemotherapy cycles, 20 radiation sessions, 18 immunotherapy treatments, 23 blood transfusions, and a bone marrow transplant since January 2024.

Fernández, who left Cuba two years ago seeking better opportunities, worked as a medical assistant until she had to leave her job to care for her daughter full-time.

"I just want her to be healthy and happy, for God to heal her completely and rid her of this cancer," the mother expressed in comments reported by the American media.

The young girl received treatment at the Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami, where doctors confirmed a tumor in her abdomen with metastasis to her arms, legs, chest, and liver.

Due to the cancer's aggressive nature and prolonged exposure to high-toxicity treatments, the long-term outlook remains uncertain.

Nicole’s situation is highlighted in the Wish Book program, an annual campaign by the Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald that shares stories of families in need during the holiday season.

This year, her mother requested assistance to cover rent in the Westchester area and to ensure a Christmas dinner for them both.

On the GoFundMe platform, Fernández shared her struggle and explained that she is facing this battle alone: "I came to this country with the hope of moving forward, like every immigrant. My daughter was 23 months old when we received the worst news: she has neuroblastoma. I'm trying to stay strong because she needs me."

Fernández also expressed gratitude for the support of friends and family in Miami, while much of her family remains in Cuba.

"For an indefinite period, I won't be able to return to work, and I turn to this platform to ask for prayers for my princess and, if possible, your help," she wrote in her post.

Nicole continues her treatment and, according to her mother, shows slow but positive progress.

The Cuban community in South Florida has begun sharing the campaign and sending donations to help the family through this challenging time.

Leydis Fernández's battle to save her daughter Nicole in Miami highlights a shared reality for many Cuban mothers both on and off the island: the unwavering commitment to protect their sick children, even amid uncertainty, scarcity, or exile.

While Fernández leaves her job to care for Nicole and seeks public assistance in the U.S., other mothers in Cuba face similar challenges.

Recently, a mother in Santiago de Cuba reported waiting over two years for a decent home to raise her seriously ill daughter adequately.

Voices of desperation also echo from the island, like a mother of a girl with leukemia pleading for a humanitarian visa so her daughter could receive treatment abroad.

Despite hopes remaining alive, they often face bureaucratic decisions that deny such requests, as in the case of another young girl who was denied a humanitarian visa by the U.S. despite her critical cancer condition.

All over the world, the story repeats: Cuban mothers fighting against all odds to save their children.

Whether by managing paperwork, denouncing injustices, knocking on doors, or sharing campaigns on social media, all of these mothers bear witness to a shared strength that survives pain, borders, and institutional neglect.