Brazilian model dead at 20
This morning brings tragic news: Mariana Bridi da Costa, a Brazilian model who had been fighting a severe infection, has died at the tender age of 20, according to CNN.
Ms. Da Costa, who had been a finalist on the Miss World pageant circuit, was a healthy, active young woman just one month ago - she showed no sign of illness until December 30, when upon her arrival at the hospital, she was diagnosed with a kidney stone and sent home.
Her boyfriend Thiago Simoes tells Britain’s Daily Mail that her condition worsened two days later - she returned to the hospital, where it was determined that she had a severe infection. As the antibiotic-resistant bacterial strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa spread through her system, her blood flow was severely compromised, and doctors eventually amputated her hands and feet in an effort to stop the infection’s spread. She also underwent surgery to remove her kidneys and part of her stomach, and eventually went into organ failure as a result of her illness. She passed away at 3 a.m. today.
Da Costa’s loved ones have told the media that she was a rising star with a warm heart. Simoes told CNN that she expressed hope, even in the throes of her illness: “She told me she was praying to stay alive, that she still had a lot to do on this earth, that she wanted to go on with her plans.” He says that she had been well on her way to becoming a star, having signed with renowned modeling agent Dilson Stein. On his blog, da Costa’s friend Renato Lindgren expressed gratitude for the solidarity shown by supporters all over the world: “On behalf of all the family, we are grateful for the support and the affection that the entire world has sent to us.”
