Eva Ekvall, the former Miss Venezuela, has died of breast cancer aged just 28 after a two year battle with the disease.
Miss Evkall was scouted as a teenager and later crowned the winner of the Miss Universe pageant at the age of 17. She went on to become a news anchor, author and cancer charity advocate.
The young model and mother of one was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer in February 2010 after discovering a lump on her breast that she thought was due to her pregnancy. Eva underwent countless rounds of chemotherapy, radiation and had a mastectomy.
During her battle with the disease, Eva wrote a book, Fuera de Foco ('Out of Focus'), about her ordeal which featured pictures of her during her treatment.
"The pictures were very shocking because nobody had ever seen me that way. Nobody had seen me bald, without make-up," Ekvall said of the book.
"In the beginning I wasn't sure if I looked good or not. Then I realised that wasn't the point. I wasn't supposed to look good, I had cancer."
Eva's book was credited with a rise of Venezuelan women having breast examinations and she later became the advocate of cancer awareness charity group, SenosAyuda.
The former beauty queen passed away on Saturday 17 December in a Texas hospital with her family by her side.
On Sunday, her husband John Fabio Bermidez posted a photograph on Twitter of the two holding hands, saying, "Always together... I love you wife."