The internet has a way of making us feel like we personally know people we’ve never actually met.
Bella Brave was one of those people. If you spent any time on TikTok or Instagram over the last few years, you probably saw her. She was the tiny girl with the massive personality, usually dancing, showing off a "stuffy," or cracking jokes while hooked up to hospital monitors. She had this way of making a sterile ICU room look like a stage.
But because she had a form of dwarfism and spent so much of her life in medical settings, people were always asking the same question: how old was Bella Brave? Her size was deceptive. Her spirit was even more so. Honestly, she seemed both five and fifty at the same time. She had the playfulness of a toddler and the weary wisdom of someone who had seen more operating rooms than most surgeons.
How Old Was Bella Brave When She Passed Away?
Bella Brave, whose real name was Isabella Thomson, was 10 years old when she passed away.
She died on July 14, 2024.
It’s a number that feels far too small for the impact she left behind. Born on December 6, 2013, in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Bella spent essentially her entire decade-long life fighting battles that would break most adults.
When her mother, Kyla Thomson, shared the news that Bella had "gone to dance on streets of gold," it didn't just affect her 7 million followers. It felt like a collective gut punch to everyone who had watched her recover from a "life-saving" bowel transplant just a year prior. We all thought she had finally made it past the worst of it.
Why Bella's Age Was Often Misunderstood
People often guessed she was much younger than she actually was. This wasn't just because of her height.
Bella was born with three incredibly rare conditions that dictated her physical development:
- Hirschsprung’s Disease: A condition affecting the large intestine that made eating and digestion a constant struggle.
- Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID): Basically, she was born without a functioning immune system.
- Cartilage-Hair Hypoplasia: This is a rare form of dwarfism that contributed to her small stature and also impacted her immune system.
Because of the dwarfism, Bella weighed less than 30 pounds even as a ten-year-old. You've probably seen her in videos next to her mom, looking like a preschooler, but then she’d open her mouth and speak with the sharp, articulate wit of a pre-teen. That contrast was part of her charm. She wasn't just a "sick kid"—she was a kid who happened to be sick, and she made sure you knew the difference.
The Final Timeline: What Happened in 2024?
The tragedy of Bella’s story is that 2024 was supposed to be her "boring" year.
After her bowel transplant in August 2023, the goal was to finally stay out of the hospital. For a few months, it actually worked. She was visiting shops, meeting celebrities like Ryan Reynolds and Halsey, and just being a kid.
But things took a turn in May 2024.
She started having trouble breathing. It wasn't the bowel disease or the SCID this time. It was something called Organizing Pneumonia. Her doctors at SickKids in Toronto were stumped. It was a rare immune response, likely a delayed complication from her various transplants.
By July, she was placed in a medically induced coma. Her lungs were failing. Despite the best medical interventions available in 2026 standards of care, her body had simply been through too much.
Ten years.
That’s 3,873 days.
Kyla often mentioned that Bella spent over 1,000 of those days inside a hospital. If you do the math, that’s nearly a third of her life spent within four clinical walls. Yet, if you look at her videos, you’d never know it. She was always the one comforting her parents, not the other way around.
Why Bella Brave Still Matters
It’s easy to dismiss "kidfluencers," but Bella was different. She and Kyla created a "Bella Brave" movement that gave a voice to "medical moms" and families dealing with rare diseases.
She wasn't a victim. She was an advocate.
She showed people what it looked like to face a needle or a 12-hour surgery without losing your sense of humor. Kyla continues to share updates and keep Bella's legacy alive through the "Bella Bravelings" community, focusing on grief support and rare disease awareness.
Honestly, the most important takeaway from Bella’s life isn't her age or her diagnoses. It's the way she reframed what "bravery" looks like. It isn't the absence of fear; it's bringing a stuffed animal into the operating room and deciding to dance anyway.
Actionable Ways to Honor Her Legacy
If Bella’s story moved you, there are concrete things you can do that actually help families like hers:
- Register as an Organ Donor: Bella’s life was extended by the generosity of a donor. One donor can save up to eight lives.
- Support SickKids Foundation: Or any local children's hospital. These places are the only reason Bella got those ten years.
- Blood and Bone Marrow Donation: With conditions like SCID, patients rely heavily on these products. Joining a registry like "Be The Match" (NMDP) takes five minutes.
- Practice "Bella Bravery": In your own life, try to adopt her "ignore the bullies" mindset. Kyla often talks about how Bella told her to just ignore the mean comments about her appearance. That's a lesson we could all use.
Bella Brave may have only been ten, but she lived more life in those years than most people do in eighty. She finished her story on her own terms, surrounded by family, leaving behind a digital footprint that continues to comfort people who are fighting their own invisible battles.
Next Steps for You: Check your local organ donor registry status today. It is the most direct way to ensure more kids like Bella get a chance at a longer story.