Turning Pain into Purpose

It has been a long roller coaster ride from the time Bella was 7 years old and diagnosed with GIST to the crazy year of 2020 and now here we are in 2023. Our family has been at this for 14 years now. There have been uneventful years and years full of more issues and uncertainty. Throughout it all we have considered ourselves lucky-knowing it could be worse and grateful that it is not. Three surgeries later, MRIs, CT scans and doctor visits continue,. We have moved from pediatric doctors to adult doctors that are familiar with GIST and are grateful for the team effort they have put into her care. 2023 will be a huge milestone for Bella as she graduates from The University of Pennsylvania, begins working full-time and starts a a new chapter in her life. There were days that we didn't know if that would be possible. We have been blessed with an army of friends and family that have gone through it all with us. The Valerie Fund has been a part of that army. Team Bella's Bunch is not so much about Bella although we have named the team after her and it reminds us of all she has been through. Team Bella's Bunch is more about all the kids in the green shirts that are currently fighting the fight. It's about their parents that have heard the words out of a doctor's mouth that have forever changed them. We are all a part of this club that nobody signed up for and so we show up year after for them-the ones that are still fighting to let them know WE ARE WITH YOU! We greatly appreciate everyone that continues to be a part of Bella's Bunch. Together we are doing great things so THANK YOU! #BellasBunch