A Cuban woman, known on TikTok as "Alana's mom" (@ailetdiaz_96), shared her harrowing journey in a series of three videos, detailing how she became paraplegic nearly four years ago while migrating from Nicaragua to the United States. The van she was traveling in alongside other Cuban migrants lost control and plunged down a ravine near Veracruz, Mexico.
"Four years ago, I embarked on the journey from Nicaragua to the United States with thousands of other Cubans," she recounted in the first video, posted on April 29.
The trek from Nicaragua to Mexico took approximately 15 days. Upon arrival, migrants were taken to remote areas with no communication coverage, then loaded into overcrowded vans at night. Before the crash, the vehicle experienced a flat tire and was stopped by police, which she now sees as ignored warnings.
"At seven in the morning, I texted my dad saying everything was fine, and I think I fell asleep. I don't remember anything after that," she recalled.
Her mind erased the traumatic event. "I know this is called post-traumatic stress," she explained. She relies on accounts from others who were there: "The van lost control and went down a ravine because we were speeding."
She was taken to a small hospital unable to perform surgery. She waited four days until her father arrived from Cuba. Later, she was moved to a private hospital where "we had to pay for everything, even the sheets." The surgery on the 19th lasted eight hours and included a cardiac arrest.
The diagnosis was a complete spinal cord injury at the T4 level: total loss of movement and sensation from the chest down. "From the chest down, I lost all abdominal muscles, foot muscles, and nerves," she detailed. This led to loss of sphincter control, permanent catheter use, frequent urinary infections, and inability to regulate body temperature. She also suffered a broken collarbone and lung contusions.
After a month in the hospital, she and her husband spent eight months in Mexico without work or money before deciding to continue to the U.S. The crossing was another ordeal: after crossing the river by boat, they faced a mud-covered mountain nearly impossible to climb in a wheelchair.
"I told my husband: leave me here and go on, because it’s impossible," she remembered. In that critical moment, a young Cuban stranger appeared to help them. "A young Cuban man, whose name I can't even recall, came and helped us, and thanks to him, we managed to get up that part."
This path was the same one taken by thousands of Cubans starting in 2021, when Nicaragua lifted visa requirements for island residents. It has been the site of numerous tragedies: three Cubans died in Veracruz in March 2022, six Cuban migrants perished in San Luis Potosí when a bus fell into a ravine, and at least 18 migrants died in a Nicaraguan accident that July.
Despite her efforts, the woman’s attempts to legally enter the U.S. were unsuccessful. "We went through the whole process to enter legally but nothing: no visa, no parole, nothing was approved," she stated. Interviewed by Telemundo while seeking a visa, she found no resolution. Ultimately, she entered the country irregularly, in a wheelchair, after one of the most grueling migration journeys documented.
The three videos posted between April 29 and May 2 garnered over 88,000 views and hundreds of supportive comments from the Cuban community, turning her story into a poignant testimony of the human cost of migration driven by the oppressive regime.
Insights into the Journey of a Cuban Migrant
What caused the woman to become paraplegic during her journey?
She became paraplegic after the van she was traveling in lost control and fell into a ravine near Veracruz, Mexico.
How did she manage to cross the challenging terrain to the U.S.?
A young Cuban man, who was a stranger, helped her and her husband to overcome the difficult muddy mountain path.
What challenges did she face after the accident?
She experienced a complete spinal cord injury, loss of muscle control, frequent infections, and faced significant financial and logistical hurdles in Mexico before continuing to the U.S.