- Millena Brandão, an 11-year-old actress from the Netflix series Sintonia, has passed away unexpectedly.
- Her death occurred on Friday at Granjaú General Hospital in São Paulo, Brazil.Mi
- llena’s mother, Thays Brandão, confirmed the news.
Millena Brandão, a beloved 11-year-old child actress known for her role in the Netflix series Sintonia, passed away unexpectedly after suffering a series of cardiac arrests. Her death occurred on Friday at Granjaú General Hospital in São Paulo, Brazil, and was confirmed by her mother, Thays Brandão.
Millena had reportedly been experiencing persistent headaches starting the previous Wednesday. According to medical reports, she suffered 13 heart attacks between Wednesday and Thursday before she passed. As of Monday, an official cause of death had not been determined, as reported by People magazine.
Her mother shared with Brazilian news outlet G1 that doctors have not yet explained what led to her daughter’s sudden decline. “The doctors still haven’t told us what really happened or what caused her death,” Thays Brandão said.
The young actress had begun feeling unwell around April 24, experiencing symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, leg pain, fainting spells, and loss of appetite. She visited a local urgent care center and two public hospitals in São Paulo during this time.
Initially, doctors suspected dengue fever. However, later testing revealed the presence of a brain mass, believed to be a tumor.
Millena had only recently started her acting career, making her television debut in October 2023 with roles in A Caverna Encantada and A Infância de Romeu e Julieta, both aired on the SBT network.
Her mother has expressed frustration with the medical care Millena received. On April 24, a doctor at Pedreira General Hospital diagnosed her with dengue fever without performing any tests and recommended dipyrone, a common pain reliever.
Two days later, on April 26, Millena left a modeling event due to leg pain and returned to the hospital. No major issues were detected, and she was again sent home to rest.
On April 28, Millena’s condition worsened. She complained of headaches, had no appetite, and felt drowsy, prompting the family to cancel a church visit. The following day, after dinner, she fainted in the bathroom.
Her parents rushed her to Maria Antonieta Urgent Care, where tests ruled out COVID-19, H1N1, and dengue. She was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection and given medication.
“She arrived unconscious in my husband’s arms, but later opened her eyes,” recalled Thays. The facility then referred her to a larger state-run hospital.
Thays expressed concern about the treatment her daughter received. One nurse reportedly scolded Millena for crying out in pain, telling her it wouldn’t help.
Later on April 29, Millena went into cardiac arrest and was intubated at Granjaú General Hospital. “Her lips turned purple. They brought her back and intubated her. From that moment, she never regained consciousness,” her mother said.
Thays criticized the hospital’s lack of neurological specialists. A CT scan revealed a 5-centimeter mass in Millena’s brain, but doctors couldn’t confirm whether it was a tumor, cyst, clot, or swelling, as surgery wasn’t performed.
She questioned why her daughter was not transferred to Hospital das Clínicas, which is better equipped for such cases. “She got worse each day, suffering two or three cardiac arrests daily. In total, she had 13. One day, she had seven respiratory arrests,” Thays said. “Sometimes they did chest compressions; other times they used a defibrillator.”
