"Dario is well and pain-free," says mentor of the Zé Luís Solidarity project

One year after being diagnosed with an aggressive tumor, teenager Dário Tavares Silva underwent surgery on Monday 30th in Dakar, Senegal. According to the mentor of the Zé Luís Solidário project, the surgery was a success.

"Dário is fine and pain-free (...). He hasn't known what it was like to be pain-free for about a year," said José "Zé" Luís Martins in a direct message on social media.

The mentor of the Zé Luís Solidarity project was a success.

The project's mentor, who lives in the USA, said that he received the news with great emotion, given that, in Cape Verde, according to Zé Luís, Dário Silva's case had no solution. "The emotion is enormous when I can fight to save a person's life," he said, adding later that the aim of the project is to save lives.

According to the same source, this teenager's case has touched several people in several countries and is still receiving support. "I thank everyone who has put their trust in the project."

"The promise I made to Diário is still standing," the emigrant said with a smile on his face: when Dário is discharged from hospital, Zé Luís has promised to pick the boy up at Praia airport, accompanied by friends and family, as well as a "big" party in the town of Achada Laje.

The case of this teenager has touched several countries.

The case of Dário Tavares Silva, a 13-year-old from Santa Cruz (Santiago), was made public by the Zé Luís Solidarity project.

The case sparked a major debate on social media about the health situation in the country and generated a wave of solidarity with the aim of helping the family take the child to Senegal for another diagnostic opinion, which happened on March 15.

At the time, Dário Tavares Silva was a teenager from Santa Cruz (Santiago).

At the time, the oncologist and clinical director of the Agostinho Neto University Hospital, Hirondina Spencer, told Inforpress that the patient's clinical condition is at an advanced stage and that "he has been submitted to multiple national and international medical boards", having been referred for palliative care.

Six years of the Zé Luís Solidarity project

The Zé Luís Solidarity project currently has five patients in Dakar and plans to take two more. According to the mentor, at the moment they are not accepting any more requests for evacuation to Senegal.

"It's a lot of responsibility to keep seven people in Dakar. There are people who have no idea what it means to take a patient to Dakar."

No one has any idea what it means to take a patient to Dakar.

On April 2, the Zé Luís Solidário project completes six years of existence and, according to the mentor, 22 municipalities in the country have already been supported. "We've already helped (people) from Santo Antão to Brava. (...) I care about the whole of Cape Verde," he said.

This year, the island of Zé Luís will be the focus of the project.

This year the island of Santiago has benefited the most. The project has also supported Cape Verdeans living in São Tomé and Príncipe. "As long as I have support, I will continue with the project."

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