As fans, our favorite sport is an important part of our lives, for sure. But some incidents remind us just how irrelevant sports can be. And that certainly is the case with the unfortunate demise of Mia Villegas, daughter of Colombian golfer Camilo Villegas.

Aged just 22 months old, little Mia Villegas lost her life to brain cancer after a 4-month-long battle at the Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami. She was admitted to the hospital after she started holding her head like it was hurting. Her diagnosis was confirmed after she had an MRI scan done. What followed was a long and arduous battle for the little girl.

Mia Villegas’ 163-day-long battle with cancer

“We were able to witness what most families go through when their children are in the hospital,” said the mother of the child, Maria Villegas as per Palm Beach Post. The golfer praised his wife for the struggles she faced during this time. She said that the couple’s comfortable financial situation meant that they were able to rent a house near the hospital to stay close to their ailing daughter. But had that not been the case, she couldn’t “imagine what that adds to the stress.”

Mia was hospitalized a week before the COVID-19 lockdown. The brave girl endured it all—the medication, IV needles, doctors constantly pestering her. “As children, they don’t understand,” Maria said. “They feel invaded.” The Villegas also had quite a support from their close friends and family during such a hard time.

The ordeal understandably took a huge toll on the child’s parents. While Camilo Villegas used golf to cope with the situation, his wife found solace at the beach. She would often visit Juno Beach with their dog, Pixie. She also said that she encouraged her husband to go and play golf so that “he has something that takes him away from our grief in a way.”

Mia Villegas unfortunately succumbed to her illness on July 26, 2020. But her mother made her a promise that she would help as many families as possible. “Her legacy, that’s my mission now,”  she said. And that’s how Mia’s Miracles started.

Mia’s Miracles incredible work

The foundation supports children and families facing difficult situations like the Villegas’s. The 42-year-old pro explained that he was fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to “focus 100 percent” on his daughter. However, he admitted that’s not a luxury that everyone can afford, conceding that “it‘s a world where people are very busy and have a million things to do.” He further elaborated that he wants to try and make the whole ordeal a bit more bearable for everyone involved—the parents, the kids, and also the caregivers.

The foundation has already changed the lives of many families, like when they paid for the flight tickets of a couple who hadn’t seen their cancer-stricken child for many months because of visa issues. It also provides four $2000 grants to families that have a kid suffering from brain cancer. The foundation has raised more than $2 million already and organized the Miles for Miracles Fun Run & Walk in May 2024. It also provides financial assistance for medical costs that aren’t insurable.

An acquaintance of the golfer, Linda Neary Robb was inspired by the couple’s work. “Maria and Camilo, their story of what they went through and what they did with their grief, turning it into action and creating this foundation that is helping so many other families, it really, really inspired me,” said Robb. Camilo and Robb know each other from being part of the same cycling community

We hope that the foundation continues to make a difference with its extraordinary work.