Former Miss World contestant Sherika De Armas, who represented Uruguay in the Miss World pageant in 2015, dies at the age of 26 following a battle with cervical cancer. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy were used to treat Ms. De Armas.
Her death sent shockwaves through Uruguay and around the world. “Fly high, little sister. Always and forever,” her brother, Mayk’ De Armas, said on social media. Miss Universe Uruguay 2022 Carla Romero, mourned that Ms De Armas was “too evolved for this world. One of the most beautiful women I have ever met in my life.”
“I will always remember you, not only for all the support you gave me and how much you wanted to see me grow but for your affection, your joy, the friends we shared and that remain with me today”, Lola de los Santos, Miss Uruguay 2021, said while paying tribute.
The 26-year-old did not place in the top 30 at the China-hosted Miss World competition in 2015. She was “one of only six 18-year-olds to compete” in the pageant, though.
As Sherika De Armas dies at 26, in an interview with NetUruguay at that time, she said. “I always wanted to be a model, whether a beauty model, an advertising model, or a catwalk model. I like everything related to fashion and I think that within a beauty pageant, any girl’s dream is to have the opportunity to participate in Miss Universe. I am very happy to be able to live this experience full of challenges.”
Shey de Armas Studio, the name of the make-up line and store where she sold items for hair and personal care, had also been established. The model gave her time to the Perez Scremini Foundation, which provides care for young cancer patients.
According to the World Health Organisation, Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women.
Also read: Why more women are diagnosed with lung cancer than men?
“In 2018, an estimated 570,000 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer worldwide and about 311,000 women died from the disease. Effective primary (HPV vaccination) and secondary prevention approaches (screening for, and treating precancerous lesions) will prevent most cervical cancer cases,” they said on the website.
