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Gisele Bundchen, 43, took to Instagram on Wednesday to remember her late mother, Vânia Nonnenmacher, on the one-month anniversary of her death. The model shared two memorable photos, including one with her arm around her doting parent and one of just her mom smiling with a rainbow behind her. She also included a sweet caption with the words, “Te amo,” which translates to “I love you,” in English.
Vânia sadly died from cancer at the age of 75 in January. Gisele broke her silence on the loss when she shared a touching tribute that included photos and a caption on Instagram on January 30.
“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. You were an angel on earth, always helping everyone around you,” she wrote in both Portuguese and English in the tribute post. She also remembered her mom as the “best role model of love, strength, compassion, courage, and grace.”
Before her death, Vânia worked as a bank teller ahead of her her retirement and 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.
Four months before her mom’s passing, Gisele opened up to PEOPLE. about caring for sick parents. “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.”
Earlier this month, Gisele, who also divorced longtime husband Tom Brady in 2022, hinted that she was working hard on healing during this difficult time of her life by sharing a quote from Ecuadorian author Yung Pueblo. “Letting go can sometimes feel overwhelming. Building new habits can seem like an uphill battle. Even with all of these challenges inner-work is worth it. This active form of self-love can radically change your life,” the quote read.
