Miss Venezuela Eva Ekvall Dies of Breast Cancer
Eva Ekvall, Miss Venezuela, has died of breast cancer aged just 28. She died on Saturday at a hospital in Houston.
In a statement on Sunday, Ekvall's family said the beauty queen’s remains would be cremated in Houston on Monday, and a funeral service would later be held in Venezuela once Ekvall’s remains are returned.
Eva Ekvall was crowned Miss Venezuela in 2000 when she was just 17-years-old. Since her pageant win, Ekvall has worked as an actress, a model and a news anchor. Since her win she has also received a degree in Communications from the Universidad Santa María in Caracas.
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Ekvall was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2010 and underwent months of treatment including a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation.
Ekvall is also the author of Fuera de Foco, which translates to Out of Focus. The book is about her battle with cancer.
"I needed to send the message of the need for cancer prevention," Ekvall told the El Nacional newspaper in 2010 about the book.
Ekvall is survived by her husband, Radio Producer John Fabio Bermudez and their 2-year-old daughter.
On Sunday, Bermudez posted a photo on his Twitter account with his hand holding his wife’s in a hospital bed, along with the words, "Always together ... I love you wife."
