The TikTok community is mourning the loss of Bella Brave. The 10-year-old—also known as Isabella Thomson—passed away over the weekend.
“Our brave girl left her legacy here on earth to dance on streets of gold July 14th 2024 at 4:19pm ET,” her mom Kyla Thomson wrote on Instagram July 15. “Bella passed peacefully in our arms.”
Bella’s mother also asked followers to honor the late little one’s legacy.
“Please keep her name on your lips, her memories alive and her bravery in your hearts,” she added. “Please share with us every detail of how she touched your life or kept you brave. Bella would want you to remember; God is love, be brave and you are never too old to bring a stuffy. #bellabrave.”
The news comes days after Kyla shared that Bella had been placed into a medically induced coma due to a “rapid fibrosis like deterioration” of the child’s lungs. And Kyla continued to update fans on how her daughter was doing.
“She’s sedated, intubated in a medically induced coma, and I am not losing my hope,” she said in a July 14 video before Bella’s passing. “I don’t know which way things are going to go. We still need your prayer and all the love. I will try to update as best I can. For now, she is still with us and she is still fighting.”
Over the years, Kyla documented Bella’s health journey via her blog and on social media. As she explained on Facebook, Bella was born with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) in December 2013 and was soon diagnosed with Hirschsprung’s disease—which, according to Mayo Clinic, “is a condition that affects the large intestine (colon) and causes problems with passing stool.” In 2015, Bella received a bone marrow transplant.
Kyla also shared on social media that Bella was diagnosed with cartilage hair hypoplasia—a genetic condition that affects bone growth, per the National Institute of Health—and primary pseudo-obstruction, which had her listed for a bowel transplant that she underwent in 2023.
Over the years, Bella—who was also daughter do dad Lyle and sister to 5-year-old brother Waylon—spent hundreds of days in the hospital and underwent about 30 surgeries. As her mom shared the child’s story, the duo captured the hearts of more than seven million followers on TikTok and Bella met stars like Halsey, Ryan Reynolds, Katharine McPhee and David Foster.
“Bella is like, ‘Let’s do it! Let’s make a video today,’ ” Kyla told People in 2023. “She thinks people love her personality and she wants them to know her passions and what brings her joy. She just wants to spread joy to other kids and anyone else.”
