An eight-year-old boy in Colombia has taken his plea for medical help straight to the country’s president. Liam Santiago Ramos Garcera, who lives with Duchenne muscular dystrophy—a genetic disorder that progressively weakens the muscles and can eventually affect the heart and lungs—recorded a video message for President Abelardo de la Espriella, describing his falls and his fear of losing the ability to walk and play.
Liam was diagnosed less than a year ago, in September 2025. Since then, his family has been trying to get him into a clinical trial in Barcelona, Spain, and he was later accepted as a candidate. His mother, Yeimy Natali Garcera, launched a GoFundMe campaign in March 2026 to cover travel and medical costs; donors helped fund an earlier trip, during which the family documented Liam’s hospital care abroad. Now they’re racing to raise money again before a follow-up appointment scheduled for September 25 in Barcelona, when the trial is expected to begin.
Liam’s appeal echoes that of another Colombian child, Lucas, whose video request to the president recently drew national attention. In response to Liam’s case, Nueva EPS—the health insurance provider (EPS stands for “Entidad Promotora de Salud,” Colombia’s health-plan administrators)—said it has received his medical records from Spain and is working with doctors to confirm his diagnosis and ensure continued care in Colombia.
You can read the full story, including Liam’s video, at the original report from El Tiempo.
Image: Conrad Poirier.