A former beauty queen has tragically died age 35 following a secret health battle.
Nabila Furtado was hospitalized earlier this year due to a case of thrombosis that had affected her arm and shoulder.
She left the hospital in early April and continued with at-home treatment.
But the in the early hours of Tuesday morning, she was hospitalized in Cariacica, northeast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with shortness of breath.
Sadly, she passed away later that day from a pulmonary embolism.
Furtado's thrombosis stemmed from breast cancer, which she had been diagnosed with during a routine consultation, but had kept hidden from fans.
Her husband of 11 years, former Cariacica mayor Juninho Geraldo, said: 'Nabila discovered she had an aggressive form of breast cancer in 2020, while I was still mayor.
'She underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and received treatment both in Espírito Santo and in São Paulo, but the cancer kept spreading.
Former beauty queen Nabila Furtado, 35, has tragically died from a pulmonary embolism
She left the hospital in early April and continued with home treatment. But in the early hours of April 22, she was hospitalized in Cariacica, northeast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with shortness of breath
'By March, it had spread near her shoulder and caused the thrombosis.
'We stayed in the hospital for a month and, at the beginning of April, went home with all the necessary hospital equipment to care for her.
'Her blood vessels had become blocked, and she was in a lot of pain.
'At the hospital, they managed to ease the pain, and she returned home, where she stayed for three weeks.
'But then, during the early hours, she had extreme difficulty breathing.
'That's when we took her back to the hospital, and by then, everything was already compromised.
'It was very hard for me because she didn't want anyone to know about the cancer-not even her own parents.'
Furtado began modeling when she was 16 and went on to win several beauty pageants throughout her life.
Furtado's thrombosis stemmed from breast cancer, which she had been diagnosed with during a routine consultation, but had kept hidden from fans
Her husband of 11 years, former Cariacica mayor Juninho Geraldo, said she found out about her breast cancer diagnosis in 2020
Her husband said he was the only one who knew she had cancer and even her parents were in the dark
Furtado previously wascrowned Miss Espírito Santo Intercontinental, Miss Cariacica 2009, Miss Brasil Queen 2016, Miss Congeniality at Miss ES 2020, and Musa do Brasil 2013
She represented Brazil at the Mrs. Glam World pageant in India in 2022 and at another international contest in Spain.
She was also crowned Miss Espírito Santo Intercontinental, Miss Cariacica 2009, Miss Brasil Queen 2016, Miss Congeniality at Miss ES 2020, and Musa do Brasil 2013.
More recently, she had grown a five-figure social media following as a fashion influencer.
Geraldo said: 'She lost her hair, was wearing a prosthesis, and people had no idea what a warrior she was.'
Furtado was laid to rest in Cariacica on April 23.
Her husband said, 'She loved what she did. Her life was about not showing people the bad side of things.
'She was always focused on trying to help others and was full of joy.'
