Tragically, 3-Year-Old 'Mighty Mia' Has Passed Away

EAST HAVEN, CT — We met her last December, the 3-year-old girl from East Haven was fighting for her life, just as she’d done since she was born.

She's called Mighty Mia, and for good reason. The girl endured more than 180 days in intensive care units in hospitals in New York City and Philadelphia.

Late Friday morning, her mother Stefania Onofrio Simuong shared the heartbreaking news that Mia has passed away on her Facebook blog that chronicled Mia's journey.

"It is with the absolute heaviest of hearts that we write this post. Mia Clementina Simuong has become the strongest, bravest, most beautiful angel," she wrote.

"Mia, words cannot describe how grateful we are for all you have taught us, for the memories you gave us, for the laughs, smiles and courage. Most of all thank you for making us mommy and daddy to most amazing little girl in the world. We are so proud of you. We miss you and love you to the moon and back," the post reads.

And then she and husband Dennis offered thanks.

"Thank you everyone for all of your thoughts and prayers during the toughest journey of our lives. #mightymia #littleasskicker"

Read the full Patch story, 'Mighty Mia Lives To Fight Another Day' from December 2020 here.

Diminutive warrior Mia, born in April of 2017, had five open-heart surgeries due to heart defects including right dominant AV septal defect with a coarctation as well as Noonan syndrome.

She was hospitalized at the NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital in New York City where she underwent myriad surgeries with the Oct. 1 surgery, which was supposed to last around eight hours, lasting 13 hours and where her ICU bed had to be quickly converted into an operating room. She was very ill.

The child was transferred to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in mid-December.

Her mother has documented the family's journey and, in nearly all the posts, she's upbeat and positive: cheering her baby on, thanking loved ones for their support, and praising the medical teams who work so hard for her child.

"Anyone who knows me, knows all I wanted in life was to be a mother," she told Patch last year. "Not only did Mia make me a mother, she taught me the value of life and how to fight."

When she was asked how she and her husband Dennis and their family cope, she said: "It's not easy, but we do what we have to do."

"People ask all the time how we do it, and the only answer I can think of is, 'We just do.'"

Back in December, a GoFundMe was created to help support the family.

GoFundMe is a Patch partner.