A funeral is being held for a Cuban boy whose medical case drew national attention and launched an intense fundraising campaign to get him to Miami.
Ten-year-old Damir Ortiz died on April 5 at Nicklaus Children's Hospital less than a month after obtaining a humanitarian visa to travel to Miami for treatment.
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WATCH HEREThe child had been battling type 1 neurofibromatosis, a rare genetic condition that causes tumors on nerve tissue.
His mother took to social media to confront the Cuban Ministry of Public Health in her efforts to get her son the treatment he needed, which she said was not available on the island.
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After facing significant delays and setbacks in Cuba, Ortiz and his mom were finally able to get to the U.S.
More than $45,000 was raised in less than 24 hours for his transportation.
According to a family friend, the child arrived in the U.S. with bacterial infections, which worsened his condition.
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"Damir died here in the United States," said Diasniurka Salcedo, a friend of the family in Spanish. "Yes, he died here, but with excellent treatment, with the treatment he should have received in our country. The only ones to blame for Damir not being with us today is called the communist system."
According to someone close to the Ortiz family, the child's ashes will remain in South Florida along with his mom who's asked for political asylum.
