19-year-old influencer dies after emergency liver transplant

A 19-year-old influencer has passed away two days after a liver transplant because “her body couldn’t handle it.”

Maria Sofia Valim, whose dad Vitor Valim is a city mayor, died on Saturday (9 Dec).

He said “It is with the deepest pain and sadness that I inform everyone of the passing of my beloved daughter Sofia.”

He thanked her organ donor’s family “who filled us with hope and love.”

But he added: “Unfortunately, her body couldn’t handle it.”

Mr Valim had told local media on Friday (8 Dec) that his daughter was in “fragile health” during the “critical” post-transplant phase.

Jam Press

Early last week, the mayor of Caucaia, Brazil, had announced that Sofia was “facing a serious health situation” and needed an urgent liver transplant.

He did not provide further details about her problem.

Sofia underwent the procedure on Thursday (7 Dec).

After her death, her mother Gaída Dias, said: “Nineteen years of pure love. I would do it all over again for you!”

The businesswoman added: “The pain is hurting me a lot.”

Jam Press

Sofia was born in Fortaleza and became popular on social media during the Covid-19 pandemic.

At the time of writing, she boasted 104,000 followers on Instagram and 471,000 on TikTok.

She used her social media pages to share snapshots from her life as a law student, along with her passion for fashion and travel.

Local media reported last week that she would be laid to rest in a ceremony limited to family members.

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