Benilda Caixeta

Age: 55

Summary: Brazilian seamstress and great-niece of the internationally known actress Carmen Miranda who was born on a farm in Minas Gerais, Brazil and emigrated to the United States for treatment when she developed a rare form of muscular dystrophy as a teenager in the 1970's and enrolled at the University of New Orleans, where she earned a degree from the business school in 1987 after a short marriage and a long stay at the National Institute of Health, who made a career for herself as an advocate for the disabled and volunteered with various groups to advance the cause by frequently emerging as the member people turned to for advice or support.

Cause of Death: Drowned in the floodwaters during Hurricane Katrina

Born: January 31, 1950

Died: August 29, 2005

Location: New Orleans, Louisiana