Lito Sousa, Aviation Communicator, Dies at 59

Overview

• The family announced that Lito Sousa died on Thursday, Oct. 1, after months of rapid neurological decline from Creutzfeldt‑Jakob disease and hospital care at Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein.
• His wife, Mila Seidl, posted a public farewell and the family held a public wake at the Museu Aeroespacial Paulista/Campo de Marte with a request that attendees not take photos to protect their seven‑year‑old son.
• Brazilian aviation authorities including Anac and the Brazilian Air Force issued notes of condolence that highlighted Sousa’s role in explaining aviation safety to millions of followers.
• Reports say Anvisa exceptionally authorized an emergency import and compassionate‑use administration of an experimental drug—reported in some outlets as ALN‑6457—but coverage stresses those claims are limited and do not establish clinical success.
• Creutzfeldt‑Jakob is a rare, rapidly progressive prion disease with no proven cure; Sousa’s case drew public attention to Brazil’s compassionate‑use pathway and renewed focus on the disease’s grim prognosis and gaps in treatment options.