You can call him Belize's most accessible and outspoken doctor - he has never shied from any interview or talkshow, but, tonight, internist Dr Fernando Cuellar is in a fight for his own life.
After surviving a bout of COVID that left him hospitalized, and ramped up his diabetes, which forced him to amputate a toe, Dr Cuellar has now been diagnosed with cancer of the blood. This was announced in a post from his sister.
It's shocking news that is surely devastating to the patients he has faithfully cared for, and the wider community which has always benefitted from his public health mindedness.
According to a message from his family, Dr Cuellar was seeking medical attention for a back fracture when the cancer was discovered. He's currently in the US receiving treatment. At this time, they're asking for support in the form of prayers, but also for their privacy. They say Dr Cuellar longs to return to the country and patients he loves.
