Who was Millena Brandão? Details explored as Netflix star dies at 11 from a mysterious illness

Born on December 27, 2013, Millena Brandão is from Brazil. Her appearance in the Netflix teen drama Sintonia made her well-known. She died on May 2, 2025, at the youthful age of eleven after a brief but terrible illness, yet unknown.

Her parents had the difficult choice to switch off Millena's life support after her rapid health deterioration in the final week of her life. She suffered brain death, thirteen cardiac arrests, collapse, leg discomfort, and severe migraines. Medical professionals found a 5 cm brain bulge, but it was never clear if it was a tumor, cyst, or clot.

Millena Brandão: Details of her death from a mysterious illness are explored

Born in São Paulo, Brazil, Millena Brandão entered our world on December 27, 2013. Thays and Luiz Brandão, Millena's parents, have said that their daughter's upbeat attitude has always pleased them. Before landing the part that would propel her to stardom on Sintonia, a well-known teenage drama on Netflix, Millena started her acting career in 2023 in many episodes, including SBT's "The Childhood of Romeo and Juliet" (a soap opera).

In São Paulo, Brazil. Thays and Luiz Brandã, Millena's parents, later said that their daughter's vibrant character had motivated them throughout their lives. Millena's first performance was the 2023 season of SBT's serial opera "A Infância de Romeu e Julieta" ("The Childhood of Romeo and Juliet").

Millena's early signs of sickness, according to her mother's story provided to the Brazilian television station G1 on April 24, 2025, were severe headaches, limb discomfort, weariness, and anorexia. Though her symptoms were rather severe, the first doctor they saw sent the family home with a dengue fever diagnosis and dipyrone, a common painkiller. No blood tests to confirm were requested.

A computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a 5 cm brain tumor while she was hospitalized. Sadly, no neurologist on call could identify the bulge as a tumor, cyst, edema, or clot. Millena's death remains a mystery for her family and the medical staff. Speaking to G1, Thays Brandão underlined the unresolved questions about her daughter's care by stating, "The doctors still haven't said what happened to my daughter and what killed her."

New York Post pleno Local and state health authorities have launched investigations to see if anything unusual occurred during her many doctor visits. Thays wrote in a heartfelt Instagram tribute he posted on May 3, "We lost our little girl on May 2nd, but I know she is in the arms of our mighty Father in a lovely place to play." You lit up our lives...

You will stay in my heart, and my love for you will last the centuries. Hearing of Millena's death caused great anguish in Brazil's entertainment industry as well as among fans all across the world. The death of such a gifted young actor grieved everyone from Netflix to co-stars to fans. Among the many media sources that reported on her very short life and the love she radiated on television were Entertainment Weekly, People, E! News, and India Today.

Millena Brandão's brief but great career underlined her talent and appeal, whether on local soap operas or for a global Netflix audience. Her early death at eleven o'clock has left her friends, physicians, and fans questioning what occurred. Though her medical treatment is still being looked at, the Brazilian government has pledged to look into pediatric emergency care policies. Millena's performances and the touching tributes she got from her loved ones show how true this is: even the shortest life may have a lasting influence.

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Divya Burman is a journalist at Primetimer 

She has completed her graduation in English Literature, which fuelled her interest in writing. A curious learner, Divya isn't scared to move out of her comfort zone and reviews her work from a critical point of view.

Divya has multiple years of work experience, including at companies like TechWhoop and Vimana. She also worked as a programme facilitator at MyCaptain.

Divya is also fond of research and keeping herself up to date on the latest trends in the world of fashion. In her free time, she indulges in music and reading and loves to watch films.