Brazilian child actress and model Millena Brandão died May 2 at age 11. She passed away after suffering numerous cardiac arrests following a sudden illness.
Brandão was known for her appearances in the Netflix series Sintonia and the soap opera The Childhood of Romeo and Juliet.
According to her parents, Thays and Luiz Brandão, the preteen star began experiencing symptoms including severe headaches, leg pain, drowsiness, and loss of appetite on April 24. Initial medical assessment suggested dengue fever, but tests were not performed at the time.
Her condition worsened, and she returned to the hospital where she fainted on April 28. She was admitted the following day.
Reports indicate that the day after admission, she suffered a cardiac arrest, was resuscitated, and intubated. She did not regain consciousness. A CT scan showed a mass in her brain, but doctors could not immediately identify if it was a tumor, cyst, or other issue.
Her health deteriorated rapidly. Her mother stated that Brandão suffered multiple cardiac arrests daily. The Daily Mail reported she had 13 in total between Wednesday and Thursday before her death.
Doctors later declared her brain dead. Her parents made the decision to turn off life support machines on Friday, May 2.
Thays Brandão announced her daughter’s death on Instagram on Saturday, May 3, sharing a photo of Millena with angel wings.
Speaking to [Brazilian news outlet G1](https://g1.globo.com/sp/sao-paulo/noticia/2025/05/03/nao-sabemos-o-que-a-matou-diz-mae-de-millena-brandao-ao-criticar-upa-e-dois-hospitais-por onde-atriz-passou-pastas-da-saude-apuram.ghtml), Thays Brandão spoke about the lack of a clear diagnosis for her daughter's sudden illness.
“The doctors still haven’t said what really happened to my daughter and what killed her,” Thays Brandão said.
