A legacy of courage and inspiration

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A local woman known for her strength, humor, and unwavering faith has died after a long battle with colon cancer. 

Andrea Andrade was just 35 years old. She was first diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer at just 26 years old in 2017. 

Despite the diagnosis, she refused to let cancer define her life. She later made headlines after pursuing her dream of competing in the Miss California pageant while undergoing chemotherapy. Along the way, Andrea won four crowns, a testament to her determination and resilience.

But Andrea’s fight was about more than pageants or titles.

“She never, never stopped fighting,” said her husband, Chris Wilson. “She was just so inspirational to so many people.”

After several rounds of chemotherapy, Andrea’s cancer went into remission, but it returned in 2020. Doctors originally gave her six months to two years to live. Instead, Andrea fought for nearly nine years.

“Nine years she fought this,” Wilson said. “They gave her six months… and she just kept going.”

Even while undergoing chemotherapy every other week, Andrea dedicated her energy to helping others. Her brother, Junior Andrade, says she pushed through pain to continue living her life.

“When she would be in pain, sometimes she would just want to sleep it off,” Junior said. “But as soon as she would wake up, she would go back to doing everything she wanted to do.”

Andrea founded the “Not All Heroes Wear Capes” program, inspired by a young boy she met who wore a superhero costume to every chemotherapy treatment. 

Through the program, Andrea provided superhero capes to children fighting cancer, a reminder that they were stronger than their diagnosis.

“At the end of the game, with her and them on the field and all of their families, they would light off the fireworks with their magic powers,” Wilson recalled.

Those closest to Andrea say she lived life to the fullest. She loved football, her faith, and above all, her family.

“The number one thing Andrea loved was her family,” said Wilson. “There’s nothing more that she wanted to do than spend time with them.”

Her family hopes Andrea will be remembered as a woman who refused to let cancer define her life.

Junior says one message Andrea never stopped sharing was the importance of early screening. She encouraged people to talk to their doctors about colon cancer and to get screened regularly.

Andrea Andrade leaves behind a legacy of courage, compassion, and inspiration, one that will continue to impact lives for years to come.