Kyrzayda Rodriguez died from stage 4 stomach cancer on September 9, following a 10-month battle with the disease. She has been a positive fashion, wellness and lifestyle influencer since 2013, and has garnered nearly half-a-million followers. Her friends and family announced her passing on September 10 with an emotional message. — Here’s five facts about the influencer who inspired many.
1. Rodriguez is a Dominican Republic native. — She was a full time mother and fashion/lifestyle blogger. She started her blog in 2013, and revealed that it did not take off until 2014. Rodriguez then quit her job in 2016 to focus on her blog full time. Rodriguez is survived by her adult daughter. “I’m a christian who loves Jesus,” her blog reads. “I’m extremely passionate about fashion and fitness,” it also says. Rodriguez had just turned 40 on August 18. She has been featured in Vogue Italia, Refinery29, Style Watch Magazine, and more.
2. She died of stage 4 stomach cancer on September 9, 2018. — In a heartfelt Instagram post, her loved ones announced she had passed, less than a year after her diagnosis. “You were someone who inspired so many people across the world,” Rodriguez’s loved ones wrote under a photo of her smiling, while modeling a white dress. “Not only were you an icon, you were an amazing daughter, mother and friend. Our hearts are broken to see you go. But we know you are no longer in pain and can now rest.”
3. Rodriguez was very open with her diagnosis on Instagram. — She first announced her stage 4 stomach cancer diagnosis in November 2017. Despite the battle, Rodriguez was fighting each and every day, while still managing to release daily posts about fashion, style, fitness, positivity and wellness inspiration.
4. She chose not to wear a wig. — Following her chemo treatments, Rodriguez chose not to wear a wig and embraced her bald head. “Learn to embrace the little things in life like your sense to feel, see, and touch,” she wrote. “We get so distracted by what we wear, we forget to love the skin. Spend a little more time each day loving every inch of YOU!!”, she wrote under a post, featuring her bald look.
5. Rodriguez announced she would be ending her chemo treatment in August 2018. — “The chemo and radiation will be discontinued because it is not working the way I hoped it would,” Rodriguez wrote. “I have decided to stop these treatments so that I can enjoy the rest of my time with my friends and family and to be as pain free as possible.” Her last blog post, a slew of colorful clothes and shoes, was on August 28. She posted her last Instagram just four days before she passed.
Our thoughts are with Rodriguez’s friends and family during this time.