Mother and Daughter Die of Cancer Just 10 Hours Apart in Brazil

A mother and daughter in Brazil have died from cancer just 10 hours apart, devastating their family.

Cibele Marchis, 28, passed away on Thursday around 4 p.m. local time at a hospital in Mogi Guaçu. Her mother, Maria Elisabete Nogueira, 56, died around 2 a.m. on Friday after being sedated at another hospital in the same city.

Cibele, a digital marketer, was diagnosed in 2024 with an aggressive and rare cancer originating in her adrenal gland. About a year later, her mother, Maria, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer after seeking medical attention for what she initially believed was a gallstone.

Cibele underwent multiple surgeries and chemotherapy treatments. By December 2025, her condition had worsened due to infections, and doctors indicated she was near death. Despite these challenges, Cibele expressed a strong desire to live, with her scars and colostomy bag not diminishing her spirit.

Maria, also known as Bia, received less aggressive treatment as her cancer progressed rapidly. She was hospitalized on September 17, requiring morphine for pain. Cibele had visited her mother at the hospital. However, about a week later, Cibele's own health declined, leading to her hospitalization.

"I arrived home from my trip on Wednesday, and my mother said that Bia was unwell," said Rowilson Leandro da Costa, Maria's nephew and Cibele's cousin. "And when I received the call on Thursday, everyone expected it to be my aunt, not Cibele."

Rowilson recounted the difficult task of arranging Cibele's wake and then receiving the news of Maria's passing shortly after returning home from saying goodbye to his cousin. "I had to break the news again to my uncle, who was mourning his daughter, that his wife had also passed away," he stated.

Cibele was the couple's only child. According to family members, both mother and daughter had expressed a wish not to know if the other had passed away before them. "They even commented on it, sometimes jokingly, other times seriously, and it happened. One never found out about the other’s death. It really is an astonishing thing,” Rowilson said.

Cibele had shared reflections on her illness, noting, "As long as your only problem is money, be grateful. Worse is facing something that not even all the money in the world can solve."

Her business partner, Eloá Righi, remembered Cibele for not letting her sickness define her. "She didn't let cancer define her. She didn't want to be known as Cibele who has cancer, but rather as Cibele who works, has fun, lives, and has cancer," Righi said.

Those who knew Maria described her as a joyful and affectionate woman with a generous spirit. "Her life was a constant example of faith, love, affection and dedication to family and friends," shared well-wisher Jorge Vitorino.

Cibele and Maria were buried together in a joint service attended by family and friends.