A young actress has died at the age of 11 after suffering a ‘multiple cardiac arrests’ in two days — leaving her family, friends, and thousands of fans grieving the sudden loss of a rising star.
Milena Brandão, a Brazillin actress known for her role in the popular soap opera The Childhood of Romeo and Juliet, passed away on May 2 at the Grajaú General Hospital in São Paulo, The Sun reports.
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Her death came just days after she was admitted to hospital with severe headaches, which were later revealed to be symptoms of a brain tumor.
Before receiving the devastating diagnosis, doctors initially treated Milena for dengue, a mosquito-borne virus that causes high fever and joint pain. They also ruled out a UTI, Covid, and H1N1.
Despite their best efforts, medical professionals were unable to save her. The child actor suffered ’13 cardiac arrests’ and died two days after being hospitalised, the Daily Mail is now reporting.
Her mother, Thays Brandão, told local news outlet G1 that she is still awaiting for the official cause of death.
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The family revealed that doctors found a 5cm mass on the young star’s brain. “But we don’t know if this mass was a tumor, a cyst, an edema, a clot… because they weren’t able to open her head to see. And now, that she died, they’re going to do a biopsy to find out what was in her brain,” the heartbroken mom told G1 (translated).
Thays – who had been updating the public via Instagram – also broke the news to her 196,000 followers in an emotional open letter, which read: “The memories we spent together will remain in my memory and I’ll never forget your joy that was contagious to everyone around you.
“My girl, I’m already missing you not being here and I know I’ll miss you even more in the days to come.
“You were the light in our lives and I know that from up there you’ll continue to watch over us and light up our lives.
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“And I’ll love you forever, and you’ll always be in my heart. I love you, my girl.”
Milena’s funeral took place just two days later, on Sunday, with mourners filling the streets of São Paulo to say goodbye. The emotional outpouring was immediate and overwhelming.
One devastated Instagram follower commented, “My God, what a pain. How sad. As a mother, my heart bleeds.”
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Another wrote: “Rest in peace beautiful. We will miss you a lot — seeing you always shining. Now you will shine in the sky. It was great to know you.”
“Rest in peace Millena, may God strengthen and comfort the hearts of the entire family at this moment of pain,” penned a third.
Heartbroken fans also took to X (formerly Twitter) as well, with one post reading: “Poor Milena Brandão,” and another saying, “My condolences to the family. Children should be immune to all evils.”
The sentiment was echoed by many, with another tribute stating: “No mother should lose her children! How painful,” while one simply said, “When a mother loses a child, we all feel it.”
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Milena began her acting career at an early age, quickly becoming a fan favourite thanks to her role in The Childhood of Romeo and Juliet, a Brazilian telenovela known for its modern reimagining of Shakespeare’s classic. Her infectious smile and bright personality made her a standout both on-screen and off.
G1 also lists additional acting credits in A Caverna Encantada from SBT and the Netflix production Sintonia.
Though her life was tragically short, Milena’s work throughout her career has clearly left a lasting impression with her thousands of fans.
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She is survived by her parents and two-year-old sister.
Our thoughts go out to Brandão’s family, friends, and fans at this time.
