19-Year-Old Influencer with Terminal Cancer Dies Weeks After Sharing Heartbreaking Open Letter to Her Baby Son
Brazilian influencer Isabel Veloso died after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2021
19-year-old influencer Isabel Veloso has died at the age of 19 at Hospital Erasto Gaertner in Curitiba, Brazil
The teen shared in 2021 that she had been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma
In October 2025, an open letter Veloso had written to her baby son Arthur in which she promised him, “I will be back,” went viral
Influencer Isabel Veloso has died after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. She was 19.
A Young Life Cut Short
Veloso was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2021. She died at Hospital Erasto Gaertner in Curitiba, Brazil, on Saturday, January 10th, the Brazilian outlet Mix Vale reported. Veloso had been hospitalized since November 2025.
The influencer had been detailing her cancer journey in candid videos and photos shared on her Instagram, which has 4 million followers.
A Heartbreaking Letter to Her Son
Veloso’s death comes after an open letter written to her 1-year-old son, Arthur, went viral in October 2025 on social media. She had shared the letter while she was separated from him because she was undergoing a bone marrow transplant.
In the letter, translated from Portuguese, Veloso told her son that she “didn’t walk away” and that “I will be back,” while sharing a sweet photo of her and her baby boy laughing together at home.
“Hey there, my love,” Veloso began the letter. “Mom is not with you right now, and I know you feel it… And that smell you are looking for in the air is not yet there… but I want to tell you something: I didn’t walk away. I am here through it all.”
“In your pillow, in your favorite toy, in the sounds the house makes when you wake up,” the mom-of-one continued. “And mainly… I am inside the reason that got me up one more time: you, my love.”
A Mother’s Hope
Veloso explained to her son that “mom is in a place that takes care of the body,” and that she hoped to see him again soon.
“I will be strong again. To carry you over. To run with you in the park. To see you growing, smiling, sleeping peacefully. And I will be back. It will take a little while, but I’ll be back,” she wrote. “With the same heart… the same love, with a hug… everything that this longing has done.”
Veloso reminded her son in the letter that “mom is listening from wherever she is” and that “you were never alone,” adding finally, “I promise I’ll be back soon.”
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Becoming a Mother Despite Terminal Diagnosis
Veloso welcomed her son, Arthur, with her husband, Lucas Borbas, in December 2024. The couple announced on social media that they were expecting their first child in August 2024, eight months after Veloso learned of her terminal cancer diagnosis.
In 2023, the teenager had chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant before she was given the all clear. Veloso’s cancer, however, returned three months later with a 6.6-inch tumor in her lungs, per The Daily Mail.
A Public Journey
Throughout her battle with cancer, Veloso used her social media platform to share the realities of living with terminal illness as a teenager and young mother. Her 4 million Instagram followers witnessed her journey from diagnosis through treatment, brief remission, devastating recurrence, pregnancy, motherhood, and ultimately her final months in the hospital.
Her openness about her struggles resonated with millions around the world, particularly her determination to become a mother despite knowing her time was limited. The decision to have a child while terminally ill was both controversial and deeply moving to those who followed her story.
The Cruelty of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system, which is part of the body’s immune system. While it’s one of the most treatable forms of cancer, especially when caught early, Veloso’s case proved particularly aggressive.
Her brief period of remission following chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant in 2023 gave hope to her family and followers. However, the cancer’s return just three months later with a massive tumor in her lungs marked a devastating turning point in her battle.
A Letter That Will Live Forever
The viral letter Veloso wrote to Arthur in October 2025 now takes on profound poignancy. Her promise to “be back” was made with hope, even as she faced the reality of her deteriorating condition. The letter’s assurances that she would be “strong again” to carry him, run with him in the park, and watch him grow represent dreams that will now remain unfulfilled in the physical sense.
Yet the letter also serves as a permanent expression of her love a message Arthur can return to throughout his life to understand the depth of his mother’s devotion during her final months.
Left Behind
Arthur, just over one year old, will grow up with photos, videos, and social media posts documenting his mother’s love for him, but without memories of her presence. Lucas Borbas now faces the challenge of raising their son alone while grieving the loss of his young wife.
Veloso’s family and followers around the world are mourning a vibrant young woman whose life was cut devastatingly short just as she was beginning her journey as a mother.
A Legacy of Courage
Isabel Veloso’s willingness to share her journey the fear, the hope, the love, and the pain helped demystify terminal illness for her millions of followers. She showed that even facing death, one can choose joy, pursue dreams, and create lasting love.
Her decision to become pregnant knowing her prognosis was terminal sparked important conversations about quality of life, the right to choose motherhood, and what it means to live fully in whatever time remains.
As Arthur grows, he will learn about the mother who fought so hard to meet him, who documented her love for him in countless posts and that heartbreaking letter, and who found purpose and joy in motherhood even as her own life was ending.
Isabel Veloso’s story tragic as it is stands as a testament to the power of maternal love and the human capacity to find meaning and create beauty even in the face of terminal illness and death.
She was 19 years old.