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Aviation Influencer Lito Sousa Diagnosed with Rare Neurodegenerative Disease
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Grupo Globo
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Aviation Influencer Lito Sousa Diagnosed with Rare Neurodegenerative Disease

Joselito Geraldo de Sousa, known by his artistic name Lito Sousa, is a prominent Brazilian influencer focused on aviation. He built significant recognition through the YouTube channel Aviões e Músicas, where he presented technical information about aircraft operation, safety procedures, turbulence, and air accidents in an understandable manner.

His channel has reached over 3.5 million followers, and he also has 2.5 million followers on Instagram. With a career spanning over 36 years in the sector, Lito Sousa accumulated experience as an aircraft mechanic, working in maintenance and safety roles at airlines such as Varig, Transbrasil, and United Airlines.

After dedicating decades to maintenance, he fulfilled his desire to become a pilot, obtaining his license in 2021. Furthermore, Lito worked as a writer, speaker, and consultant, using his aviation knowledge to discuss topics such as risk management, safety, and human factors. Among his published works is the book Onde Morrem os Aviões (Where Planes Die), based on professional experiences lived in the former Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Together with his wife, businesswoman Mila Seidl, he founded Lito Academy, a company that manages his courses, consulting, and lectures. Lito Sousa is also the owner of the 'Aviões e Músicas' YouTube channel, which offers accessible explanations about aircraft, safety, turbulence, and air accidents. His company is responsible for the course Sem Medo de Voar (Fearless Flying), aimed at individuals with aerophobia, seeking to reduce passenger anxiety by detailing the technical aspects of aircraft and situations like turbulence.

The couple married in 2014, starting their relationship in 2015 and getting married five months later. They have one 7-year-old son. Mila Seidl was instrumental in encouraging Lito to turn his technical knowledge into YouTube content, assisting in structuring the business that evolved into Lito Group.

Series of Illnesses

Lito reappeared in the news in 2026 after disclosing serious health problems. In July, he announced a diagnosis of prostate cancer, followed by a nervous system inflammation. Subsequently, in August, Mila informed fans that he had been diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a rare and progressive neurodegenerative condition.

In the state of São Paulo, where he resides with his family, only 202 confirmed cases were registered over a period of 16 years. This state leads the number of confirmations in Brazil, according to data from an agency, followed by Minas Gerais and Paraná. He remained hospitalized at Albert Einstein Hospital, located in South Zone of São Paulo, for several days to monitor his condition, although he reported that the circumstances were not favorable.

Experts point out that Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) is an extremely rare, severe, and rapidly deteriorating brain illness, manifesting as memory loss, mobility difficulties, and tremors. In the final weeks, the influencer showed a significant loss of movement but maintained mental lucidity, deciding to return home to continue treatment. At that time, it was stated: 'In the last few weeks he lost a lot of movement, but his head is lucid. (...) I can't even walk with him. His mind is intact. That in itself is a miracle. It's just the physical body that is becoming weaker day by day.'

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Lito Sousa explains the cycle of life to his 7-year-old son after diagnosis of incurable rare disease
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g1.globo.com

Lito Sousa explains the cycle of life to his 7-year-old son after diagnosis of incurable rare disease

After receiving a diagnosis of a rare and incurable disease, Lito Sousa reportedly explained the concept of the 'cycle of life' to his seven-year-old son. Lito Sousa's wife, Mila Seidl, shared the account, stating that Lito passed away on Thursday (the 1st).

In a video posted on social media on August 21st, Mila Seidl mentioned that the idea of discussing the topic came from the pilot himself, taking advantage of a period of mental clarity whose duration the family and doctors were unaware of. At the time, she reported that he told his seven-year-old son about the cycle of life in a very touching manner, starting the conversation with 'sit down, here comes a story.'

When the video was released, Lito was hospitalized at Albert Einstein Hospital, located in the South Zone of São Paulo. Mila Seidl also commented on his health history, mentioning that Lito had previously been diagnosed with prostate cancer and later with an encephalitis that appeared to be autoimmune and affected his arm. After a round of treatment at Einstein, they returned home, but there was little improvement, and his condition worsened.

The new condition, identified as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, required them to return to the hospital. According to Mila, their life became more difficult than what they had already faced, and among the possibilities that arose, one of the least likely due to its extreme rarity, was a degenerative disease.

Studies indicate that Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is an extremely rare, severe, and rapidly progressing brain condition, manifesting through memory loss, mobility difficulties, and tremors. Mila had previously commented that the influencer was already showing loss of movement, but still chose to return home.

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