Image Credit: KYLA THOMSON | @KYLACT
Bella Thomson—known to her online community as Bella Brave—has died at the age of 10.
“Our brave girl left her legacy here on earth to dance on streets of gold on July 14th, 2024, at 4:19 p.m. ET,” her mom, Kyla Thomson, wrote on Instagram on July 15.
“Bella passed peacefully in our arms,” she continued. “Please keep her name on your lips, her memories alive, and her bravery in your hearts. 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 message concluded.
Bella’s death came just days after the 10-year-old was placed in a medically induced coma following complications from a viral infection in her lungs.
“We are, of course, gutted for Bella. Her bowel transplant last August was supposed to be the last medical trauma she would ever have to endure,” Kyla said. “We are not out of the woods.”
Then, in a clip posted on social media on July 11, Kyla said in an update that Bella remained “stable with no improvement” as she was kept at Toronto’s SickKids hospital.
Over the years, Bella went viral on social media after showcasing her bright-spirited personality as her parents, Kyla and Lyle, documented her life-threatening health challenges. Bella battled the rare bowel illness Hirschsprung’s disease, which, according to the Mayo Clinic, “is a condition that affects the large intestine (colon) and causes problems with passing stool,” as well as severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), among other health problems.
After Kyla shared that Bella had been placed in a medically induced coma due to a “rapid fibrosis-like deterioration” of the child’s lungs, she continued to update fans who were closely following along and praying for a successful recovery.
“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 passed. “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.”
Bella—who was also 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.”
“She was fearless,” Kyla added. “Whatever she faced I never saw fear in her. She taught me bravery.”
