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PLUCKY 3 YEAR OLD WITH CANCER NEEDS YOUR HELP. How would you feel and cope if your toddler was diagnosed with cancer?

  • Great News!

      25 March 2025
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    Bella has been selected to receive additional treatment as part of a 6 month study. This should increase her chances of a cancer free life and also help others in future who may have the same condition. A win win.

    Her scans came back still all clear, which is fantastic!

    She will just continue as she has been on maintenance (daily chemo, administered at home and weekly/fortnightly hospital visits to get additional chemo through her port). She will be scanned again some time in June to keep track.

    Bella continues to amaze us all with her positive can do attitude.

    Her hair is growing back and she appears to be more confident and enjoying life.

    She continues to do her ballet class, which she loves and recently went to her first independent birthday party, which was wonderful to see. She was shy to start (a bit overwhelmed) but then got some confidence and played with the other girls.

    She has been on a couple of play dates with friends and has enjoyed being out on the boat, playgrounds, beaches and socialising in general.

    It’s heart warming to see her smiling and doing things that 3 year olds do.

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  • Bella Update March 2025

      11 March 2025
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    Bella is making good progress.

    It is now a year since Bellas diagnosis and life at times still has its challenges.

    We have spent the last while visiting hospital every 3 weeks out of 4 while Bella received further treatment. We are thankful she has responded well to treatment.

    Bella resumed her dance classes in February and is really loving it as well as the companionship/friendships she can now have. It.was so hard in the early stage of her.treatment when she was too sick to be around.other children for fear of infection.

    Jackson has been showing her some of his karate moves and we wouldn't.be surprised if she used one or.two of those moves on him in the future.

    The family try and live a normal as possible life.

    Bella went to her first Princess birthday party, (a little friend from her dance class) and

    dressed up like a little princess. Her hair is slowly growing back and so far seems to have

    escaped the real tight “chemo curl” that

    some people get after their chemo treatments.

    Last week Bella had an MRI scan and we are waiting on the results which will determine if she is to be selected for a study and undergo a further 6 months of treatment. This could mean she will have her portal for another 6 months.

    We hope we can bring you the news very soon.

    Take care and thank you

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  • Final Update

      28 November 2024
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    2024 has been a very difficult time for Bella and our family. At only 3 years old, she has already

    been through more than most people will in their entire lives. We are so proud of our little girl's

    strength, courage and always having a smile on her face. It is amazing that she is now in

    remission (although still on a maintenance plan that includes chemo).

    On behalf of our entire family, I would like to thank every single one of you so much for all your

    support during this time. Your donations have been incredible and we are just so overwhelmed

    with your generosity! Whether you donated, messaged, offered to help, shared the posts, called

    or just have us in your thoughts..we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

    Bella is enjoying her Dance classes, her Trampoline and the online learning programme all of which are helping Bella to recover from her lost development and learning opportunities.

    We have set aside some funds for her ongoing health requirements. Prior to her Cancer

    diagnosis, Bella was to undergo heart surgery before the age of 5 and with this in mind, we have

    managed to keep aside some funds to assist her and the family with this next journey.

    Once again, thank you all for being amazing and hopefully 2025 will be a great year for us all!.

    We wish you all a Happy, Healthy and Safe 2025.

    Love Bella, Kirsten, Daniel, Jackson and our families

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  • Bella's getting stronger

      19 November 2024
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    It’s been another challenging time for Bella and her family.. It just doesn’t seem to stop.

    Dan, Bella's dad was in hospital for a few days with diverticulitis.

    He had a week off work recovering but is much better now.

    Bella has been well but had to go to hospital on 13th Nov as she was vomiting (when she arrived at Ambury Park with the Blendz people). She had been coughing for the 2 nights prior but luckily when she went to hospital, she perked up and became much better. It wasn't a great day for Bella or her mum Kirsten.

    Dan and Jackson missed Jacksons’ school carnival earlier this month as Jackson had a cold. The whole family has been a bit poorly but luckily all much better now...

    Bella has been great for the most part, - enjoying her dancing and jumping on her little trampoline. She is better at bouncing and it's good for her strength and core.

    Keep smiling, Bellas Aunties.

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  • Exciting News

      5 November 2024
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    Bella is now enjoying doing some of the things she couldn’t do earlier, like going treat or tricking and her ballet classes.

    Our exciting news is Bella's hair is growing back!!!!

    So we are starting to see new eyebrows eyelashes and hair on her head.. We are sure this will help build her confidence again.

    Our next hospital appointment is for this Thurs (Nov 7) for cycle 2 of “maintenance”

    This is to get her “port” medicine in addition to her daily chemo.

    Life is now a whole lot better than it was a couple of months ago..Long may it continue.

    Big hugs to everyone

    The Aunties, Bella and her extended family.

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  • Bellas new normal

      31 October 2024
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    Bella is now enjoying her new ‘normal’ and is now able to be more social with other children and has recently joined a Dance class once a week to ease her back into 'normal' life. She is still a little shy in class however this is all part of building up her confidence. We are so very proud of you Bella.

    Mum Kirsten is enjoying not having to go through radiation, every day (early) for 5 days per week, for 5 weeks. Bella had to go under general anaesthetic everyday and it became quite exhausting for both of them. Especially when followed by chemo everyday.

    Kirsten has signed up to Reading Eggs, a great learning programme and Bella just loves it! Check it out, -They offer a free trial - https://readingeggs.co.nz/

    These are just 2 things that you, our great supporters have helped to make Bella's life (and the family's) a little easier over the last 8 months

    Thank you

    The Aunties.

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  • Life is easier now.

      21 October 2024
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    Life for Bella and her family is so much easier now that she is in “Maintenance”.

    She has weak chemo shots that must given to her daily along with anti Nausea shots.

    The feeding tube remains at present. (Not too sure how long this will remain for)

    Eye drops are part of Bellas’ nightly routine..

    Bella is allowed out and about more and has just started going to Dancing School.

    A welcome change from those hospital walls.

    It’s so nice to see her willing to face the world and to go out and experience new positive things. Her attitude helps make Mum Dad and Jacksons’ lives easier too.

    Well done Bella

    The Aunties..

    xxxxxxxxxx

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  • The results are in

      15 October 2024
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    Family are still on that roller coaster ride. Recently Daniel

    had days off work. He was looking after Bella, a poorly Jackson and Kirsten who was confined to bed with a migraine.

    Just another hiccup for the family.

    Bella is taking this in her stride and is pretty much upbeat, she is our greatest inspiration to keep positive , - We’re glad that she has no more regular injections , nurse visits /regular hospital stays.

    The Radiation dept gave her a lovely doll to celebrate the end of her treatment. Thank you Radiation Dept.

    We celebrated Jacksons 7th birthday recently. Family and his friends all enjoyed the happy vibe and a great sunny day.

    Kirsten Jackson and Bella spent a much needed school holiday break at Grandmas house in Whitianga. ..

    Our next appointment was to let us know the outcome of Bellas’ gruelling treatments so we extended our givealittle page so you could all know

    This week we got the news that

    All reports indicate that there was no evidence of cancer!

    A great outcome, one that we were sometimes too scared to even hope for on our darkest days.

    Bella is now in maintenance', she has daily meds at home and once a week in hospital (3 out of 4 weeks) to get a medicine that has to be accessed through her port. She hates getting her port accessed but it necessary. Maintenance will be at least 6 months (12 if she goes into a study ).

    We look forward to our new normal phase, this will be easier for everyone.

    Thanks for caring Bella and family

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  • We are now toward the finish line of Bella’s Journey!!!

      4 September 2024
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    Congratulations Bella!!!

    You have just completed Cycle 9 of Chemotherapy (9 of 9)!!! Such a huge milestone…now there is no more extensive treatment!!!! Not out of the woods yet, but can relax a bit more now, as your next step is maintenance..which just means daily meds, but life can be a bit easier! And although you can’t yet see her friend’s at daycare, you can extend your social circle a bit more.

    Sorry for the delay with everything everyone…things have been a bit hectic of late, but she had completed radiation 2 weeks ago and she has been doing so well since then!

    Bella continues to amaze everyone. Most of the time she just doesn’t act like a very sick little girl instead she is full on playing with her Dad, mum and brother on her good days.

    A BIG THANK YOU to your unbelievable generosity! We hope to be able to have an online educational programme for her in the not too distant future. This will help compensate for her lost learning opportunity at daycare. (Bella is like a little sponge soaking up all the new things she learns.)

    Family are feeling tired, - mentally and physically exhausted as you can imagine, however seeing Bella being so strong keeps us going.

    As we get to maintenance, we will also wait patiently to go for an MRI for scans to see how we are doing….so everything is crossed!... We will keep you all posted!

    Take care, stay safe, and another huge THANK YOU to you all.

    Love and hugs from

    Bella, Daniel, Kirsten, Jackson and their extended family.

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  • Visitor

      10 August 2024
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    Bella just finished Cycle 8 of Chemo yesterday! She got a special visitor while she was in hospital 😊

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  • Radiation begins

      30 July 2024
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    Bella began radiation on 17th July, along with cycle 7 of chemo at the same time! This was a dreadful 3 days as she was more sick than usual and I had a panic attack/ emotional struggles. Seeing your little girl go through so much, really puts you in a bad head space. Last week and this week are a little better, still daily treatment of radiation which means Bella has to have

    a General Anaesthetic every day. She needs to be at the hospital early in the morning so we need to be very organised. Will post more as time

    allows. Thanks so much for all of your support it really does make these trying times easier to bear..

    Luv n hugs Kirsten, Dan & family xxx

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