Gisele Bündchen pens emotional note to her mom after her death
Gisele Bündchen is honoring her mom Vania Nonnenmacher following her death.
The Brazilian supermodel posted a carousel of throwback photos of herself and her mom on Instagram Wednesday, paying tribute to Nonnenmacher, who died Jan. 28, at the age of 75, according to Hospital Moinhos de Vento in Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Writing the caption in both Portuguese and English, she began, "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. "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."
Bündchen, 43, continued, "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. Your love will always guide us," she concluded. "I will see you in my dreams. Love you ❤️."
The hospital announced Nonnenmacher's death in a statement posted to its website, stating that she died Sunday due to cancer after being admitted to the hospital on Jan. 26.
Bündchen did not specify her mom's cause of death in her tribute.
Last year, the model opened up about experiencing a tumultuous few years after relocating her family to Florida, going through a divorce with ex-husband Tom Brady, taking care of her parents and focusing on helping her two kids -- son Ben and daughter Vivian -- adjust to their new surroundings while homeschooling them, all during a pandemic.
"It's been very tough on my family. It's been a lot -- in every area of my life," she told People at the time. "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."
