• What happened? Mariana Bridi, a 20-year-old Brazilian model, was a rising star in the international modeling world, coming in fourth in a recent competition to be Brazil’s entrant in the Miss World pageant. But after going to the doctor in December suffering from what initially were thought to be kidney stones, she was eventually diagnosed with a urinary tract infection. Unfortunately, the infection had infected the blood by then.
• Trying to keep her alive Given just two weeks to live, Bridi had her hands and feet removed to help blood circulation through the rest of her body. In intensive care and on life support, she currently communicates with her family through blinking but thus far has held on. “They say her situation is very critical and that her chances are not really significant,” said Henrique Fontes, executive director of Miss World Brazil, “but she keeps on surprising everyone.” source

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