A Brazilian influencer’s final Instagram posts documented what she called a long-awaited milestone. Days later, her family was planning her funeral.
According to People, Derleya Alves, a 26-year-old mom and influencer from Marabá, Brazil, died on February 28 after complications that followed a breast augmentation procedure.
Alves, who had roughly 27,000 followers on Instagram, underwent surgery on February 20. Within days, she began experiencing severe abdominal pain that required further medical intervention.
Alves was admitted to Marabá Municipal Hospital after her condition worsened. She underwent multiple tests and two additional surgeries in an effort to stabilize her.
During those procedures, doctors repaired portions of her intestines and removed one of her ovaries. Despite those efforts, she died eight days after her initial operation.
The medical team at Marabá Municipal Hospital identified what they described as a “possible congenital intestinal abnormality” that may have intensified her condition. Authorities have stated there is currently no indication of medical malpractice.
A biopsy report is expected later this month, and officials have not yet released a confirmed cause of death. It has also not been publicly disclosed where Alves initially underwent the breast augmentation.
In the days leading up to her surgery, Alves shared emotional updates with followers. In a February 22 post filmed before the operation, she appeared alongside her mother in prayer.
“I put everything in the hands of my Father in Heaven because without Him I am nothing,” she wrote in Portuguese. “I cried a lot… but I knew everything would be alright because I knew God was with me.” She captioned the video, “Another dream coming true.”
One of her final uploads showed her mother assisting her during the early recovery period.
On March 2, Alves’ sister, Jessica, shared a tribute on Instagram featuring photos of the two together over the years. In Portuguese, she described Alves as a “wonderful woman” and wrote, “You were and always will be my other half, my favorite person in the world.” Her wake and burial were held on March 1.
While breast augmentation remains one of the most common cosmetic procedures globally, health agencies continue to monitor potential risks. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has identified rare but serious conditions associated with certain breast implants, including Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL), a cancer of the immune system linked primarily to textured implants. As of mid-2024, more than 1,200 cases and dozens of deaths have been reported worldwide.
The FDA has also flagged rare instances of squamous cell carcinoma in scar tissue around implants and continues to require long-term safety data from manufacturers.
Medical experts also caution that combining multiple procedures or undergoing surgery without a comprehensive preoperative evaluation can increase the risk of complications.