Brazilian model Mariana Bridi da Costa, whose hands and feet were amputees in an attempt to save a little known and deadly disease, died early Saturday.
Da Costa, 20, had fought a serious disease that has ravaged his body and forced doctors to perform the amputations and extract part of his stomach, and the two kidneys.
She had been breathing through a respirator, hospital officials in Dorio Silva in the Brazilian state of Espirito Santo said on Friday.
Da Costa suffered necrosis, or the rapid deadening of tissue due to septicemia. Septicemia caused by a bacterial infection, caused by inadequate blood flow that can lead to failure.
Da Costa, first sought medical advice after feeling ill in late December. Said that the hospital was transferred to Dorio Silva on January 3 on "septic shock", a serious medical condition caused by inflammation.
Da Costa was first diagnosed as suffering a urinary tract infection. By the time the infection was detected, has become septicemia.
Doctors decided to amputate the hands and then his feet after the condition of reducing the amount of oxygen that is delivered to its members.
Just less than a month ago, da Costa is a young and healthy ways to achieve his 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, came fourth in the contest to become the operator of Brazil for the Miss World contest.
Thiago Simoes, the bride da Costa, said she was on her way to international stardom with the signing of prominent model scouts Dilson Stein, who led Brazil models, including Gisele Bundchen and Luiz Altenhofen, on the world stage.
"He told me he was praying to stay alive, that it still had much to do on this earth, I wanted to continue with their plans," Simoes said.
"She comes from a humble family and was the main breadwinner," said Simoes, who refuted the rumors that da Costa diet and could have affected his health.
"She never diet pills ... she never took it very simple, very warm human being," he said.
A doctor who has recently published an article in The New England Journal of Medicine about the disease, said that little is known about the disease, although it is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States.
"We know a lot about what happens after a patient contracts the disease but we know very little about its causes," said Dr. Greg Martin of Emory University in Atlanta.
"It's a health threat in this country, killing at least 800,000 people a year," he said.
Martin said sepsis is a "response" to an infection that can cause the immune system to lose its balance.
"Basically, the immune system goes crazy after contracting an infection and starts a reaction," he said.
Men are more susceptible than women, said Martin.
News of da Costa condition spread rapidly throughout Brazil and then worldwide. A message on its website said that the traffic volume has caused to fall and that the site has received over 15,000 hits in two days.
"The whole world, once again, everyone is shocked by the case of Mariana," he said.
The message said that he had received e-mail messages of solidarity from all corners of the world.