Gisele Bundchen Mourns the Death of Her Mother: ‘It Hurts to Know That I Won’t Be Able to Hug You’

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Gisele Bundchen, 43, mourned the death of her mother, Vania Nonnenmacher, with a heartfelt message that she shared on social media. “Beloved mom, It hurts to know that I won’t be able to hug you anymore, but I know that you will always be watching over us,” the Brazilian model wrote on Instagram on January 30 in both English and Portuguese, two days after Vania died of cancer at the age of 75.

“You were an angel on earth, always helping everyone around you,” Gisele continued. “I am so grateful to be your daughter and to have learned from you. Thank you for being the best role model of love, strength, compassion, courage, and grace.”I will forever cherish the beautiful memories we shared and will live by the values you taught me. You will live forever through the many lives that you touched.”

“Thank you for giving me five best friends for life,” said Gisele, who has five sisters, including a twin named Patricia. “Your love will always guide us.I will see you in my dreams. Love you ❤️,” she added.

Gisele’s tribute included multiple throwback and more recent pictures of her late mom. In one of the snapshots, Gisele and her five sisters hugged Vania and their dad, Valdir Bündchen, who is still alive. Gisele and Tom Brady‘s kids Vivian, 11, and Benjamin, 14, also popped up in some of the photos.

Vania, who worked as a bank teller before her retirement, was admitted to Hospital Moinhos de Vento in Porto Alegre, Brazil on January 26. She died two days later, the hospital confirmed in a statement to PEOPLE. Gisele waited two days to address her mother’s death.

Four months before her mom passed away, Gisele opened up about caring for her sick parents in an interview with PEOPLE. “It’s been very tough on my family. It’s been a lot — in every area of my life,” she said. I feel like whenever it rains, it pours. With all the different twists and turns that life takes, all we can do is the best we can given what happens in our surroundings.”

Gisele did that interview one year after she got divorced from Tom, who is the father of her two children. The exes were married for 13 years before they both filed for divorce on October 28, 2023.  They finalized their divorce that same day.