Latest news on Mariana Bridi da Costa on January 24, 2009 - Vitória, BRAZIL: former Miss World Brazil's Finalist, Mariana Bridi da Costa passed away at 3 am on Saturday, January 24, 2009 after struggling to live for weeks. The Brazilian model lost her limbs after she was diagnosed with dangerous infection.
IN REMEMBRANCE OF MARIANA BRIDI DA COSTA VIDEO CLIPS - (JUNE 18, 1988 - JUNE 24, 2009)
Her struggle touched millions touched millions of people around the world.
Mariana represented Brazil in two international pageants: Face of Universe 2006 (she placed 4th) and Miss Bikini International 2007 (6th place and 'Best in Swimsuit' award winner).
She dreamed of becoming a famous international model and a journalist.
MAY MARIANA BRIDI DA COSTA REST IN PEACE - SHE WILL BE REMEMBERED BY MANY PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD
(Thank you and credits to http://www.globalbeauties.com and all sources for the news and information)
Beautiful 20-year-old Mariana Bridi da Costa passed away, CNN reports.
Unfortunately Mariana couldn't resist any longer. She passed away at 3 a.m. today - said Henrique Fontes, director of Miss World Brazil.
The model`s death was also confirmed by Renato Lindgren, a friend of Mariana`s who took care of her blog. He wrote that he was on his way to the hospital with a friend.
- On behalf of all the family, we are grateful for the support and the affection that the entire world has sent to us – Lindgren wrote.
Mariana, who was supposed to have represented Brazil at the Miss World beauty pageant was diagnosed with a urinary infection and the doctors had to amputate both of her hands and feet in order to save her vital organs. A difficult infection caused septicaemia, which clogged her veins and cut of f circulation.
Mariana was admitted at the Intensive Care Unit of the Brazilian Doria Silva hospital. After she had her hands and feet amputated on Tuesday, Mariana has to have additional surgery on Wednesday, urgently.
Mariana`s boyfriend Thiago Simoes said that she fell ill in December, but was misdiagnosed with kidney stones. It is only after additional tests that it was determined she was infected with the Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria.
Miss Brazil 2007 finalist photo gallery: Miss World Brazil's finalist, Mariana Bridi da Costa.
(Thank you and credits to http://www.javno.com - http://www.javno.com
(CNN) -- Brazilian model Mariana Bridi da Costa, whose hands and feet were amputated in a bid to save her from a deadly and little-known illness, died early Saturday, two friends of the model told CNN.
Brazilian model Mariana Bridi da Costa died Saturday after undergoing multiple amputations.
Brazilian model Mariana Bridi da Costa died Saturday after undergoing multiple amputations.
"Unfortunately Mari couldn't resist any longer. She passed away at 3 a.m. today," Henrique Fontes, executive director of Miss World Brazil, said in an e-mail to CNN.
Renato Lindgren, a friend of the model who runs a blog dedicated to her, confirmed da Costa's death.
On his blog, Lindgren wrote that he and other friends were going to the hospital.
"On behalf of all the family, we are grateful for the support and the affection that the entire world has sent to us," he wrote.
Da Costa, 20, had fought a pernicious disease that has ravaged her body and forced doctors to perform the amputations and extract part of her stomach as well as both kidneys.
She had been breathing through a respirator, officials at Dorio Silva Hospital in the Brazilian state of Espirito Santo said Friday.
Da Costa suffered from necrosis, or the fast deadening of tissue, caused by septicemia. Septicemia, triggered by a bacterial infection, causes insufficient blood flow that can lead to organ failure.
Da Costa first sought medical advice after feeling ill in late December. Hospital officials said she was transferred to Dorio Silva on January 3 in "septic shock," a serious medical condition caused by an inflammation.
Da Costa was first diagnosed as suffering a urinary tract infection. By the time the infection was detected, it had developed into septicemia.
Doctors decided to amputate first her hands and then her feet after the condition reduced the amount of oxygen being delivered to her limbs.
Just less than one month ago, da Costa was a healthy young woman well on the way to achieving her dream of becoming a world class model.
She placed sixth in the Miss Bikini International competition in China last year and took first place for the "Best in Swimsuit" category. In 2007 and 2008, she came fourth in the contest to become Brazil's entrant for the Miss World pageant.
Thiago Simoes, da Costa's fiance, said she was on her way to international stardom, signing with prominent model scout Dilson Stein, who brought Brazilian models, including Gisele Bundchen and Luize Altenhofen, to the world stage.
"All the agencies were very interested in knowing her. I know for a fact that they would have loved her because Mariana is beautiful," Stein told Brazil's Tribuna newspaper.
Simoes told CNN that da Costa woke up from a coma 10 days ago and told him how much she wanted to be alive.
"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 said.
"She comes from a humble family and she was the main breadwinner," said Simoes, who refuted rumors that da Costa was dieting and that might have affected her health.
"She never dieted, never took pills...she is a very simple, very warm human being," he said.
A doctor who recently published an article in The New England Journal of Medicine on the disease, told CNN that little was known about the illness, although it is the tenth leading cause of deaths in the United States.
"We know a lot about what happens once a patient contracts the illness but we know very little about what causes it," said Dr. Greg Martin of Emory University in Atlanta.
"It is a leading health threat in this country, killing at least 800,000 people a year," he said.
Martin said sepsis was a "response" to an infection, which can cause the immune system to lose its balance.
"Basically, the immune system goes haywire after contracting an infection and begins to overreact," he said.
Men were more susceptible than women, Martin said.
News of da Costa's condition spread quickly throughout Brazil and then worldwide. A message on her Web site said the volume of traffic had caused it to crash, and that the site had received more than 15,000 hits in two days.
"The whole world, I repeat, the whole world is touched by the case of Mariana," it said.
The message said they had received "e-mails of solidarity from all corners of the world: Australia, Ukraine, Czech Republic, France, Italy, USA, Russia, etc."
(Thank you and credits to http://edition.cnn.com)
News on Mariana Bridi da Costa before she passed away on January 24, 2009, Saturday at 3 am:
Vitória, BRAZIL — In 2006, when Mariana Bridi Costa was only 18, Mariana Bridi competed for the first time in the Miss World Brazil pageant. With little money and a basic wardrobe, she traveled for over 24 hours on a bus to get from the small town of Marechal Deodoro to Curitiba, where the pageant was held.
Her natural beauty and energy, took her further than most people gave her credit for: Mariana was the 3rd runner-up, living several favorites behind.
A couple of months later, she was sent to Accra, Ghana, where she competed for the new Face of the Universe title. She was the 3rd runner-up overall and first among the contestants from the Americas.
It didn't take long for this young beauty to be noticed, and soon came an invitation from the state director of Sergipe, Alexandre Araujo: she would return to Miss World Brazil, that time with full sponsorship and proper preparation.
The "new" Mariana didn't disappoint her fans: she was again a finalist at Miss World Brazil and won the Miss World Northeast 2007 title. Invited to compete in Miss Bikini International, in Shanghai, Bridi won the "Best in Swimsuit" award, and finished the competition in 6th place, competing with more than 50 girls from around the world.
Recently Mariana received a proposal to work as a model in a big agency in São Paulo. When she was about to move to Brazil's largest city, a tragic turn of events took place: on January 2 Mariana was taken to a hospital with an urinary tract infection, which soon became a generalized infection.
Under intensive treatment and unconscious, doctors believed Mariana wouldn't survive the next 24 hours. She did survive, but the strong medicines she had to take, stopped blood running through the extremities of her body.
The solution was the amputation of both her feet and hands.
Still at risk of dying, Mariana is conscious and made it clear that, even under such critical conditions, she wants to live.
People from around the globe have been praying for this young warrior, who in many senses has been a model for many. Her case has astonished a nation, and brought to people's attention the possible consequences of such infections.
Mariana is now recovering from yesterday's hands amputation surgery. She is in desperate need of type O negative blood. Local and national newspapers and websites have been asking people to donate blood.
Photos/Fabio Nunes: Mariana competing in Miss World Brazil 2007, as Miss Sergipe. She was the 4th runner-up to Regiane Andrade.
(Thank you and credits to http://www.globalbeauties.com)
Model, Mariana Bridi da Costa who was a finalist in Miss World Brazil heats has lost her hands and feet after contracting a horror urinary infection - now relatives and doctors are fearing for her life.
(Thank you and credits to http://www.news.com.au)
- Mariana Bridi da Costa develops infection
- Doctors amputate her hands, feet
- She remains in intensive care
From news that was read - Mariana Bridi da Costa was sedated in a hospital in Serra, in the southeastern state of Espirito Santo, and on artificial respiration following the procedures, according to several newspapers.
Bridi was diagnosed with an infection by the Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterium, which can often prove fatal.
Septicemia set in in her limbs, cutting off circulation and forcing doctors to amputate.
Her boyfriend, Thiago Simoes, told the G1 news website that Bridi fell ill on December 30, but was initially misdiagnosed with kidney stones.
The infection quickly spread, causing her to go back to hospital for tests that revealed her condition. Surgeons had to act to remove her damaged hands and feet.
Her father, Agnaldo da Costa, told the Folha de S Paulo newspaper that "the concern is over her life".
(Thank you and credits to http://www.news.com.au,)
Latest news on January 23, 2009 - Mariana Bridi da Costa, model and finalist of Miss World Brazil had her hands and feet amputated after contracting a killer urinary infection - Thiago Simoes, the boyfriend of model and Miss World finalist Mariana Bridi da Costa appeal for public help to save her life.
From the latest news that was read - Officials have revealed Miss Bridi has a rare blood type and needs donations as she battles to survive intense surgery.
"This is a desperately sad story and we are calling on potential donors to come forward and give blood," said Henrique Fontes, executive director of Miss World Brazil.
He dubbed her a "great fighter" and revealed how she had bravely faced challenges in her beauty career. Read more below.
Miss Bridi first fell ill in December but doctors failed to spot the infection - instead saying she had kidney stones.
The illness worsened, causing her to go back to hospital for tests that revealed her condition.
But by then septicaemia had set in her limbs, cutting off circulation and forcing doctors to amputate her hands and feet.
And after that surgery she suffered an internal haemorrhage and had another emergency operation on Wednesday afternoon.
Her boyfriend Thiago Simoes said Miss Bridi could die, despite the drastic surgery.
"We are all absolutely distraught and are just praying now that she can pull through," he said.
"She fell ill on December 30 and we took her to hospital where she was misdiagnosed with a kidney stone.
"They gave her some medicine and sent her home. But two days later she started getting worse.
"We took her back to hospital and they said she had a very serious infection.
"She got more and more sick, and had no blood circulation to her limbs.
"First she lost her feet, then on Tuesday she lost both her hands.
"But she is a very strong person and we just want her to survive."
Miss Bridi is on a ventilation machine in hospital in Serra, in the southeastern state of Espirito Santo.
The infection was caused by the pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria.
Her father, Agnaldo da Costa, told a Brazilian newspaper that "the concern is over her life".
Miss Bridi was a finalist in the search for Brazil's Miss World contestant in 2006 and 2007.
In 2007 she flew to China to represent her country in the Miss Bikini international competition.
She won a prize there for the most beautiful body, and came sixth out of 50 candidates.
Mr Fontes said Miss Bridi badly needs a transfusion of the uncommon blood type O negative.
He added: "She has always been a great fighter and has a history of perseverance.
"The first time she took part in a beauty contest, in 2006, she travelled for 20 hours on a bus in very plain clothes, and without any preparation, and she ended up coming fourth.
"We need her to show that same kind of fight now.
"In China she took on girls from 50 countries, and came sixth and won the prize for best body.
"This is a desperately sad story and we are calling on potential donors to come forward and give blood."
(News source from: http://www.news.com.au)
(Thank you and credits to http://www.news.com.au and all sources for the information and pictures)
