TikTok star Bella Thomson, known to fans as Bella Brave, has died at age 10.
“Our brave girl left her legacy here on earth to dance on streets of gold July 14th 2024 at 4:19pm ET,” Bella’s mother, Kyla Thomson, announced via her Instagram on Monday, July 15. “Bella passed peacefully in our arms.”
The family encouraged fans to “please keep her name on your lips, her memories alive and her bravery in your hearts,” adding, “Please share with us every detail of how she touched your life or kept you brave.”
The post concluded on an uplifting note, stating, “Bella would want you to remember; God is love, be brave and you are never too old to bring a stuffy.”
In the accompanying photo, Bella smiled at the camera while dressed in a purple and green princess outfit, complete with a pair of pink sparkly shoes and a tiara.
Kyla shared the same message via TikTok on Monday alongside a video of Bella dancing in a purple floral dress.
Fans offered their condolences in the comments section, with one user writing, “I will forever be grateful for the laughter, joy and light Bella brought to my world. Wishing I could hug you ❤️.” Another fan commented, “If love could hold her here a little longer, she’d be here forever. Your beautiful family has been a beacon for so many. Bella’s legacy is just beginning. In the meantime, this community has those who loved her most so very close in our hearts ❤️.”
Shortly before announcing Bella’s death, Kyla reposted a user’s Instagram Story featuring a photo of her daughter, which read, “Keep sending those prayers, people. We need the spice back in our girl ????.”
Bella died less than one week after she was placed in a medically induced coma. “She’s stable and that in itself is the improvement for now,” Kyla wrote via Instagram on Wednesday, July 10.
Bella was placed in the coma after developing a lung infection, which Kyla said doctors believed was Bronchiolitis Obliterans. “They’ve told us they don’t know if she’ll survive this,” Kyla shared via Instagram one day prior. “I know she will. I know she has an army praying for her.”
In an Instagram video shared on Sunday, July 14, Kyla told fans that Bella was “not losing my hope” despite being “sedated, intubated [and] in a medically induced coma.” She continued: “I don’t know which way things are gonna 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.”
The mother-daughter duo gained a TikTok audience of 7 million followers and more than 337,000 Instagram followers by opening up about Bella’s experiences with a number of health conditions, including severe combined immunodeficiency and Hirschsprung’s disease.