Girl, 14, dies after secret breast surgery, father blames ex-wife & plastic surgeon

A 14-year-old girl from Mexico, Paloma Nicole Arellano, died days after undergoing breast augmentation and a butt lift without her father’s knowledge, reported the New York Post.

Carlos Arellano, the girl’s father, said he had received a call from his ex-wife a day before his daughter passed away.

She had informed him that both she and Arellano would be isolating themselves in the Durango mountains after testing positive for Covid-19 at school.

When his daughter died at the Santa María Clinic in Mexico on Sep. 20, his father assumed it had been due to neurological complications from Covid-19.

Funeral

“At the funeral, some relatives told me her breasts were larger than what she had before, and when I mentioned it to her mother, she told me it wasn't true, that she didn't know anything,” the father said, as quoted by the Arizona Republic.

“That night, I asked her mother to leave the room so I could talk to the girl, to say my goodbyes. For some reason, she didn't want to. I managed to convince her and her entire family to leave, and they did. My sister, my sister-in-law, my mother, and I stayed inside. They examined my daughter, and sure enough: she had breast implants. We have photographs of the implants and the scars. We immediately requested an autopsy.”

While Arellano’s father believed that she was isolating herself in the Durango mountains, on Sep. 12, the teenager was actually undergoing breast augmentation surgery at a private clinic.

The plastic surgeon at this clinic was her mother’s current 45-year-old boyfriend, Víctor “N,” who owned the practice.

The operation allegedly triggered severe medical complications for Arellano, which led doctors to induce a coma and connect her to a ventilator.

Arellano fought for her life for a week after that, but eventually succumbed on Sep. 20.

Although Mexico does not set a specific minimum age for plastic surgery, such procedures are generally only permitted for minors under 18 if both parents give their consent.

According to The Sun, the teen allegedly had three cosmetic surgeries: breast enlargement, liposuction, and a Brazilian Butt Lift.

These are all high-risk procedures even for adults.

The Durango Prosecutor’s Office ordered an autopsy, following the father’s complaint, which revealed cerebral edema (swelling of the brain) and lung damage.

However, the final pathological report will take 10 to 20 days.

"Girls don't need implants"

"We are investigating a probable lack of care on the part of the mother,” said the Durango Attorney General Yadira de la Garza Fragoso, as quoted by the Arizona Republic, “(for) placing a minor who was under her care and custody in risky situations."

The surgeon who performed the procedure has had his license suspended and is now being investigated by the authorities.

“There could be a crime of negligent homicide, and probably medical-professional liability,” the attorney general added.

Even Mexico's president has weighed in on the tragedy.

The Latin Times reported that President Claudia Sheinbaum had announced on Sep. 24 that the Interior Ministry would oversee the case to determine accountability and guarantee full legal review.

She also pledged support to the Arellano family and stated:

"Send us the case and we will gladly reach out to the family and see how we can help."

In response to the tragedy, Carlos Arellano has launched an awareness campaign on social media addressing the risks of cosmetic surgeries for minors and the societal pressures to achieve a “perfect” body image.

He has also called for a march of parents on Sep. 27 under the slogan, “girls don't need implants”.

“We cannot continue to normalise the sexualization of girls or allow the ambition of some adults to put their lives at risk. We demand justice and that this crime does not go unpunished. Girls deserve to grow up free, safe, and respected.”

Top images via lamarlasabrina/X and Arellano's Facebook