California beauty queen, 35, dies nine years after colon cancer diagnosis

A California beauty queen has died aged 35, nearly a decade after she was diagnosed with colon cancer.

Andrea Andrade died January 16, nine years after doctors initially gave her six months to two years to live with her stage three colon cancer diagnosis.

Her husband, Chris Wilson, wrote in a tribute to Andrade on Instagram: “My eternal love. I know this isn’t goodbye. I’ll see you on the other side baby. Keep your heavenly arms around me, I love you mi amor.”

After her diagnosis in 2017, Andrade won five beauty pageants: Miss West Coast, Miss Nuestra Belleza USA, Miss Fresno County, Miss Regional West and Miss California Congeniality. She also competed for the Miss California crown. During her intensive chemotherapy, she competed in beauty pageants with a chemo port in her chest.

“I felt like I just need to do this now," she told Inside Edition in 2017. "It's been one of my lifelong dreams."

open image in gallery

open image in gallery

Wilson told the Fresno Bee: “She felt her mission from God was to share her story and help other people. To let it be known that even if you’re diagnosed with something, you can still have an amazing life and pursue your dreams. Like Andrea did. And it was an honor to be part of that.”

Andrade and Wilson were together for eight years, and married for two.

“I was punching above my weight class for sure,” Wilson told the outlet. “I was so surprised she ever gave me a shot. But what I realized really quickly was her authenticity.”

The husband and wife founded a program to help support children undergoing chemotherapy treatment called Not All Heroes Wear Capes. The pair visited different hospitals to spend time with children who were diagnosed with cancer and drop off gifts.

Andrade shared on social media that the charity work was “always bitter sweet for me.”

“I love seeing the smiles but I know the pain these children and their families are going through, and it always hurts my heart,” she wrote in April 2025 on Instagram. “This year I broke my own record, I promised myself I wouldn’t cry, I lasted a whole 2 minutes then I was bawling like a baby!”

Andrade’s last post on Instagram was to celebrate her birthday in November. She captioned the post, “Chapter 35: just getting started, all glory to God.”

Tributes to the beauty queen have poured in under the post since her death, as one Instagram user wrote: “May you rest in peace Andrea. You fought long and hard, you were brave and always so positive. Full of life. You will always be remembered for your courage to keep fighting and always keeping a smile on your beautiful face. My condolences to all her family and friends.”

Another commented, “Andrea. RIP beautiful girl. I'm sure you are joking and making everyone laugh in Heaven. I know you are wrapped in His arms and that brings me so much peace. See you later.”