Vanessa Vargas, age 40, passed away at the Medical Center of Southeast Texas on January 27th, 2026, after a lifelong battle with cystic fibrosis.

Vanessa was born on April 5th, 1985, to Ramon and Griselda Vargas and shortly after diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. For the next four decades, Vanessa was a fighter, and in the face of her struggles, deteriorating health, and constant hospital visits, won a life of family, laughter, and love. In 2006 she gave birth to her son, Eli. They were best friends and Eli was always there for his mother. In 2016, Vanessa bravely received a double lung transplant, which gave her nearly ten more years with her family and allowed her to watch Eli graduate high school, become a man, and enlist in the United States Army, where he is currently serving his country. She was always proud of him.

Vanessa had a very bubbly personality, big heart, goofy sense of humor, and an infectious laugh. Vanessa loved horror movies, reading, true crime, and all things Hello Kitty. However, her true calling was makeup which allowed her to express her creativity and find happiness even during her most difficult days. She was passionate about spreading awareness of Cystic Fibrosis and connecting with others with her condition so they could support each other through their ups and downs with the disease.

Vanessa is survived by her son Eli, her mother Griselda, her father Ramon, her sister Rita, her grandmother Guadalupe, and her dog Daisy. She will be missed dearly by all those blessed enough to have known her.

In lieu of a funeral service, Vanessa will be cremated according to her wishes and her life will be privately celebrated by her immediate family, who would like to extend their thanks for all the prayers they have received.