INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - An Indianapolis man who arrived in the U.S. only with clothes and a birth certificate wants to live his final days in his native Cuba.
Lazaro Blanco Garcia has cancer and probably only months to live. The 59-year-old has felt like an American since arriving here 37 years ago but wants to be with family in Cuba, The Indianapolis Star (https://indy.st/2izU9iq ) reported.
“I would do anything for America, but I have to go and be next to my family in Cuba for my final wish,” Garcia said.
To realize his dream, he must fill out re-entry papers, receive government approval and set aside about $15,000 for the move. But Garcia, who has worked as an electrician, fears he won’t be able to work full-time in Cuba because the cancer has already spread to his lungs.
His friend has created a GoFundMe account, which as of Tuesday had raised $700.
Dr. Pablo Bedano, an oncologist who is treating Garcia, said much of Garcia’s health care should be pain control and end-of-life care, not advanced lifesaving techniques that might not be available in Cuba.
“From a palliative treatment standpoint, I’m sure that they will be able to provide just as good care there as they would here,” he said. “Medically he should be able to do this.”
Bedano has tailored Garcia’s treatment to keep him as strong as possible for his trip home, which no longer includes cancer treatments that could weaken him.
Garcia hopes to leave the U.S. by February.
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Information from: The Indianapolis Star, https://www.indystar.com
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