Brazilian child actress Millena Brandão passed away on May 2 following 13 cardiac arrests, as reported by several sources. She was 11 years old.
Brandão, known for her role in the Netflix series “Sintonia” and other local productions, was taken to Granjaú General Hospital in São Paulo, Brazil, on April 30. She had been experiencing intense headaches, leg pain, drowsiness, loss of appetite, and frequent fainting spells.
According to her mother, Thays Brandão, the young actress experienced multiple cardiac arrests between her admission to the hospital and May 1. Initially, doctors suspected dengue fever, but that was later ruled out.
Thays informed Brazilian news outlet G1 that the cause of her daughter’s death remains unclear. She stated that the medical team has not explained the incident, leaving the family with unanswered questions.
The health issues began on April 24 when Millena complained of severe headaches and leg pain. Her mother took her to a physician, but they were advised to return home with pain medication, as the doctor suspected dengue fever, although no tests were conducted.
“She had a headache, but she could walk and talk. The doctor said it was dengue fever, but he didn’t do any tests. He told us to take her back home and give her dipyrone,” Thays told G1.
Millena’s condition worsened rapidly. By April 26, she was unable to walk due to the pain. The family visited the hospital again but were sent home. On April 28, Millena fainted in her bathroom, prompting another emergency hospital visit.
After her admission, Millena suffered her first cardiac arrest the next morning. Her mother recounted how her daughter’s lips turned purple before medical staff resuscitated her and placed her on a ventilator.
A CT scan revealed a mass measuring about 2 inches in Millena’s brain, but Thays mentioned that no neurologist was available to determine whether it was a tumor, cyst, edema, or blood clot. Millena’s condition continued to deteriorate.
Thays reported that her daughter had two to three cardiac arrests daily, totaling 13 during her hospital stay. She noted that Millena had never had cardiac issues before. On one occasion, the young actress experienced seven respiratory arrests, with medical staff using both manual resuscitation and defibrillator shocks.
After Millena was declared brain dead, her parents decided to remove her from life support. Thays explained that they believed continuing would only prolong their daughter’s suffering.
The Brazilian municipal and state health departments are investigating whether there were any irregularities in Millena’s medical treatment.
On May 3, Thays paid tribute to her daughter on Instagram, posting an image of Millena with angel wings and a gold halo, expressing how much she misses her and cherishes their memories.
Millena debuted in October 2023 on the Brazilian Television System (SBT) and appeared in “A infância de Romeu e Julieta” (The Childhood of Romeo and Juliet) and “A Caverna Encantada,” alongside her role in the Netflix series “Sintonia.”
By the time of her passing, the young actress had amassed nearly 200,000 followers on Instagram, reflecting her growing prominence in Brazil’s entertainment sector.
The precise cause of Millena’s death has not been determined, as medical professionals have not identified what triggered the series of cardiac arrests.