Help Bella Beat Cancer!

Hi! I'm Kristina and I'm fundraising for my sister Bella...

When Bella was diagnosed with thyroid cancer at 19, she was told it was the “best” cancer to have; usually, one surgery removes the thyroid and the cancer is gone. But the first surgery was rushed and errors were made, resulting in the cancer spilling into her central neck compartment and lymph nodes.

The Back Story: What was a scary diagnosis became her life’s focus in many ways; she took a year off of school, began therapy to focus on the emotional and physical trauma, and tackled a reality that most teens don’t even consider. Bella tried radioactive iodine treatment and a second surgery, but regular bloodwork always detected the presence of cancer. Ultimately, doctors concluded she would need to wait and watch for it to grow enough to be operable. Last fall during a routine scan, her doctor found an irregular lymph node under her clavicle and a biopsy confirmed the cancer was back and a third surgery was scheduled.

Photo: Bella's first surgery, 2017

The Now: We won’t beat around the bush, this surgery is a bit scary. The mass is close to her vocal cords and damage is possible. The surgeon will also access the mass through a new location on her neck that will make recovery look and feel different than the previous two surgeries. Emotionally this is a hard one too; Bella’s worked so much on her mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing, having used her cancer experience as a catalyst for huge personal growth (we are SO damn proud of her!!) and revisiting all of it is a major challenge. It’s extra hard when she felt like she was just settling into a routine and building a life she really loves.

How You Help: Money raised through this Go Fund Me will go to several places: The first is an immediate $7k deductible that is required up front before the surgery. Additional funds will go toward gas and meals back and forth to Durham from Asheville for treatments. Post-op, it will help cover therapy, physical therapy, in home post-op care, and other holistic modalities to help Bella heal physically and emotionally and get back on her feet. We want physical therapy to be as accessible as possible so she can get her range of motion back and get back to the things she loves, like dancing and swimming.

There are still a lot of unknowns. We hope Bella’s third surgery is the final and most successful one, AND still we are preparing for anything and everything. We want Bella to have nothing to worry about except for her recovery and taking really good care of herself to heal and grow.

We are so grateful for YOU - your prayers, your support, your kind words, and your contributions. We love you!!

xox Kristina + Bella