Nara Almeida, a popular Instagram model and influencer, passed away after her battle with stomach cancer. The Brazilian model documented her brave fight on her Instagram account where she had 4.5 million followers.
Nara's Brave Battle
The 24-year-old social media influencer was diagnosed with stomach cancer in August 2017 and was hospitalized in Nove de Julho Hospital in São Paulo. Almeida would regularly update her fans on Instagram of her procedures and recovery. Despite being told that her cancer had spread to her organs, Almeida would also share inspirational words and photos of herself in her hospital bed.
In one Instagram post, the young model wrote that the doctors told her there was possibly no cure for her cancer, but she remained hopeful that this was only a "phase" and not the end of her life.
In April, the popular young model shared that she would be starting immunotherapy treatment, which she believed would help save her life. Almeida died on Tuesday, May 21.
Her death was confirmed by her boyfriend, Pedro Rocha, who had been dating Almeida for two years. Rocha stated in his Instagram post that her death left a hole in his life, but she had fought hard and "deserved" her rest. Rocha's post has received more than 2 million likes.
Deus mais uma vez segura em minha mão, minha alma aflita pede tua atenção, cheguei no nível mais difícil até aqui, me ajude a concluir. Quando penso que estou forte fraco eu estou, mas quando reconheço que sem ti eu nada sou, alcanço os lugares impossíveis, me torno um vencedor. A post shared by Nara Almeida (@almeidanara) on Apr 16, 2018 at 9:22pm PDT
Stomach Cancer
According to the Mayo Clinic, stomach cancer begins in the mucus-producing cells that line the stomach.
Over the past few decades, cancer in the main area of the stomach has fallen. However, cancer where the top part of the stomach — the cardia — meets the lower end of the swallowing tube — the esophagus — has become more common. This area of the stomach is known as the gastroesophageal junction.
Symptoms of stomach cancer can be fatigue, severe or persistent heartburn, stomach pain, and severe indigestion that's always present. Factors that could increase a person's chance of getting stomach cancer vary from smoking, family history, and a diet that is low in fruits and vegetables.
