Beloved 11-Year-Old Actress Millena Brandão Tragically Passes Away After Suffering Multiple Cardiac Arrests
In a heartbreaking turn of events, 11-year-old Millena Brandão, a beloved child star, has tragically passed away following a series of cardiac arrests.
The young actress, known for her role in the Netflix series Sintonia, had been battling severe headaches on Wednesday, which led to her being rushed to Granjaú General Hospital in São Paulo, Brazil. Despite doctors’ best efforts, Millena passed away on Friday.
According to her physician, the young star endured a staggering 13 cardiac arrests between Wednesday and Thursday. As of Monday, the cause of her death remains unknown, leaving many in shock and mourning the loss of such a bright talent.
Heartbreaking Account: 11-Year-Old Actress Millena Brandão’s Struggle Before Her Tragic Death
The mother of 11-year-old Millena Brandão, a rising star from the Netflix series Sintonia, is speaking out about the series of events leading up to her daughter’s untimely death, still shrouded in mystery.
In an emotional interview with Brazilian news outlet G1, Thays Brandão, Millena’s mother, shared her confusion and sorrow as doctors have yet to provide clear answers on what caused her daughter’s death. “The doctors still haven’t said what really happened to my daughter and what killed her,” she said.
Millena had been suffering from persistent headaches, leg pain, fatigue, loss of appetite, and fainting since April 24. Despite visiting two state-run hospitals and a city urgent care center, it wasn’t until after a series of tests that doctors discovered a brain tumor, although they initially misdiagnosed her with dengue fever.
Millena made her acting debut in October 2023 on Brazil’s SBT network, appearing in A infância de Romeu e Julieta (Romeo and Juliet’s Childhood) and A Caverna Encantada (The Enchanted Cave). Her career was just beginning to bloom, and her sudden illness shocked her family, friends, and fans alike.
Thays Brandão voiced her concerns over the treatment her daughter received, beginning with the diagnosis of dengue fever on April 24. “But he didn’t do any tests. He told us to take her back home and give her dipyrone,” she recalled, referring to the doctor at Pedreira General Hospital who did not thoroughly investigate Millena’s symptoms.
Millena’s condition worsened in the following days. On April 26, she had to leave a modeling event due to severe leg pain, prompting a return to Pedreira General Hospital. Although no issues were found, her mother decided to let her rest at home. When the family planned to attend mass on April 28, Millena complained of fatigue, headaches, and lack of appetite, so they stayed home.
Things took a dark turn on April 29 when, after dinner, Millena passed out in the restroom. Her parents rushed her to the Maria Antonieta Urgent Care Facility, where tests revealed a urinary tract infection but no signs of COVID-19, H1N1, or dengue fever. After regaining consciousness briefly, she was transferred to Granjaú General Hospital, where she suffered her first cardiac arrest and was intubated. “Her lip turned purple. Then they resuscitated her and intubated her. From that day on, she never woke up again,” Thays shared, her voice filled with grief.
According to Thays, the lack of a neurologist at Granjaú General Hospital hindered proper care. “They only did a CT scan, and the doctors said they saw a 5-centimeter mass in her brain. But they don’t know if this mass was a tumor, a cyst, an edema, or a clot because they couldn’t open her head to see,” she said.
Despite the family’s efforts to get proper care, Millena’s condition continued to deteriorate, ultimately leading to her passing on Friday after enduring multiple cardiac arrests. As her family grapples with the loss, many are left wondering how a misdiagnosis and inadequate medical attention contributed to this devastating tragedy.
Thays Brandão Raises Concerns Over Lack of Urgent Care for Daughter
As the tragedy surrounding her daughter’s sudden death continues to unfold, Thays Brandão is speaking out about the troubling decisions made during Millena’s treatment. She expressed deep frustration over the lack of specialized care provided to her daughter, particularly after her condition worsened at the Maria Antonieta Urgent Care Facility.
Thays questioned why Millena, whose condition was rapidly deteriorating, was not transferred to Hospital das Clínicas, where specialized medical experts could have potentially offered more effective treatment. “She got worse, with two to three cardiac arrests per day. She had 13 arrests in total. She had never had that before,” Thays said, her voice filled with anguish.
Millena’s situation grew more critical, as she suffered multiple respiratory arrests, with one day seeing her experience seven such episodes. Thays recalled how the medical staff at the urgent care facility struggled to stabilize her daughter, sometimes using chest compressions and other times administering shocks with a defibrillator.
Despite these intense interventions, Millena’s condition continued to decline, leaving her family devastated and searching for answers about the lack of proper care during such a critical time.