\u201cDespite her cancer, Bella chose grace, love and gratitude.\u201d<\/p>\n \n <\/cite>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

In those last hours, with our whole family at the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse to support Bella, her mom and her sister, there was a point when we were chatting with one of those truly remarkable social workers, Jane, about VAD, she said to us: “The social workers, nursing staff, and the doctors were all in awe of Bella and her resilience.”<\/em><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n\n\n

This was not unusual for us. We, too, were in awe of the way she had dealt with her cancer journey, and so, too, were her friends.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n\n\n

Bella wanted her story to help others—she wanted to show that hope and love persist no matter the challenge. Her message to others is to live life fully, love deeply, and never let adversity define you.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n\n\n \n\n

Bella showed strength, dignity, grace and courage through debilitating pain, numerous chemo and radiation therapy sessions, and she twice had to endure lengthy operations on her jaw.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n\n\n

Despite this, she was unwavering in her determination to make a difference. She never let the cancer nor the pain define her. In fact, she turned her pain into purpose and impact.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n\n\n

She used the hopelessness of her situation to inspire others and to help them fight their battles with strength and resilience.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n\n\n

Bella once told me that when you face death, you think deeply about life. For someone so young, she had some incredible insights. Her defining one was: “I have cancer, but cancer does not have me.”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n\n\n\n\n

In one of her TikTok videos, Bella shares her 20 Life Lessons<\/a>. Here are some of my favourites:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\n
Happiness is a choice, and it's only up to you. Wanting more will never compare to what you already have, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Bad days are a choice. There is always an option to change your attitude.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Bella's final legacy & impact<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
In her final months, Bella returned to her Adelaide home to be with her mom and sister. But in a cruel bureaucratic twist, they discovered that Bella could only invoke VAD in South Australia if she had lived there for a year, and so she and her family returned in her last few weeks to Sydney and the Chris O’Brien Hospital.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n\n\n
Bella’s final wish was to change this law for others.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n\n\n
I’m pleased to report that the South Australian Premier, Peter Malinauskas<\/a>, is aware of Bella’s story. In a letter to the family, he stated that “the state has plans in place to adjust the legislation”.<\/em> And that the VAD Review Board has “…added the option to exempt certain residency requirements on compassionate grounds to a log of matters maintained for consideration as part of the review.”.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n\n\n
What mark will you leave? What attitude do you choose?<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n\n\n
Bella would do anything to be here with her family, her friends and to be getting ahead at work.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n\n\n
And so, to honour Bella, I leave you with two more of her 20 life lessons: “Living a long life is not a given. Never waste a second. Savour every moment, because you never know how many you have left.”<\/em><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n\n\n
What mark will you make on this world?<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n\n\n
<\/span> $\"A$
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A photo of Craig Badings and Bella Bradford.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Craig Badings shares his niece, Bella Bradford's story, of strength, resilience and leaving an impact despite facing a terrible diagnosis. Here's what Bella taught him.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[837],"capabilities":[],"class_list":["post-15924","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-thought-leadership"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t

In one of her TikTok videos, Bella shares her 20 Life Lessons<\/a>. Here are some of my favourites:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n\nHappiness is a choice, and it's only up to you. Wanting more will never compare to what you already have, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n