Mariana Bridi da Costa | 20 year old Brazilian model dies of rare infection
Mariani Bridi da Costa, a 20 year old Brazilian model, died this past weekend after her hands and feet were amputated as a result of a severe and drug-resistant infection. Doctors amputated her feet and hands in an effort to save her from the rare illness, because it was reducing the amount of oxygen being delivered to her limbs. Bridi died of complications related to a rare form of septicemia that is caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa. According to CNN the illness also forced doctors to extract both of her kidneys and part of her stomach. The model had been in the hospital almost a month. A statement was released by the Espirito Santo State Health Secreatriat noting that the bacteria was known to be resistant to multiple kinds of antibiotics.
20 year old Mariana was a finalist to represent Brazil in the Miss World contest
Dr. Greg Martin of Emory University says “we know a lot about what happens once a patient contracts the illness but we know very little about what causes it”. He also mentioned that men are more susceptible than women.
According to the New England Journal of Medicine the disease is the tenth leading cause of deaths in the U.S., killing at least 800,000 people a year.
Da Coast was engaged to Thiago Simoes. Da Costa’s fiancé told CNN that she was well on her way to international stardom. She had just signed with prominent model scout Dilson Stein. Simoes told CNN that about 10 days ago she had just woke up from a coma and told him how much she wanted to be alive.
Once word spread about Marina’s condition, a message on her website said that the volume had caused it to crash. So many people were showing love for the young Brazilian model. Her site had received more than 15,000 hits in two days.