Bella Allan gained her angel wings last week.
The 13-year-old losing her almost seven year battle with leukaemia.
Many knew Bella’s battle well.
The teen had battles T-cell leukaemia for many years. It was in her infant cells and resistant to chemotherapy.
Her family has strong links in Tooradin and surrounds and those fortunate enough to meet Bella will never forget her.
All who work at the Gazette have a special place in our heart for Bella.
Her aunty Bridget Cook worked here for many years and by extension Bella was part of our family too.
Personally I had heard of Bella’s battle through my friendship with Bridget long before I met her.
But she made a lasting impact on me when I did finally met her during one of her many stays at the Royal Children’s Hospital.
At the time she was very unwell but still had an amazing twinkle in her eye that captured you from the beginning.
I was writing a story about her battle with the rare form of cancer for the Herald Sun and then went on to write about her love for all things Justin Bieber.
And then her disappointment about missing out on attending his concert because she needed a bone marrow transplant.
It featured videos of her singing and dancing to the popular artist – and even though it was very clear she was sick, her charisma certainly brought a smile to your face.
Her story captured the attention of the world and #BiebermeetBella was trending on Twitter worldwide.
TV News caught on and Melbourne was in a flurry hoping that the superstar would pay her a visit.
Sadly he never showed, but Bella was more than impressed with the swag of merchandise his record company sent her way.
She took it all in her stride, much like the health battles she faced since she was six years old.
And from the outpouring of sadness, love and support it’s very clear that she touched the lives of many who won’t forget her.
To her family, especially Ally, Troy, Josh and Chelsea, we know there are no words – we send our love and share your heartbreak.
