After battling tumors on her brain and spine for the past six months, Mia Villegas, the 22-month-old daughter of PGA Tour player Camilo Villegas, passed away on Sunday, according to the PGA Tour.
Villegas, 38, revealed his daughter’s health battle in June before the start of the Korn Ferry Challenge at TPC Sawgrass. Villegas and his wife, Maria, had noticed their daughter was not acting like herself in February while Camilo was playing the Honda Classic. Mia had stopped climbing and playing during her frequent trips to the gym with her dad and was crying more at night.
Initially, Camilo and Maria thought the change in behavior had to do with Mia teething. Scans at the Nicklaus Children’s Hopsital in Miami on March 14 revealed the tumors. Mía underwent surgery, but Camilo and Maria were told that persisting issues would require more treatment.
“After the surgery, when it was time to remove the stitches, they learned the growth had become pretty aggressive,” he told the PGA Tour. “We were told we needed to start treatment right away, so they kept us there. Physically, though, she wasn’t ready to get the kind of chemo doctors were hoping for.”
Mia was Camilo and Maria’s only child.
Villegas finished T-33 at the Korn Ferry Challenge and has not teed it up in competition since. Villegas is playing on a medical extension and has 13 PGA Tour starts left. He made his lone start on the Tour at the Honda Classic and missed the cut.
