Teen pageant queen creates cancer care packages

Inspired by the gifts people gave her and her siblings, Bella is putting together care packages

A teenage girl whose mother was diagnosed with cancer is creating care packages for young people whose parents also have the disease.

When Bella, 13, from York, was seven years old her mum, Tracie, was told she had breast cancer and had to undergo chemotherapy for six months.

Turning her own experience into something positive, Bella, who is also a pageant queen, said she wanted to help those going through a similar experience, with the care packages containing gifts from her and her siblings.

She said: "We've been through it so I feel I can relate to other people and see what I could do to help them. I just want to let them know there's always someone there - and let them know there's hope."

Mum Tracie said that after her diagnosis, it was "a really scary time" not only for her, but for her children as well.

"They were all quite young when I was going through cancer and it made such a big impact on their lives," she said.

Bella became the Pure International Junior Teen Europe pageant queen winner last month

Bella said she had been thankful for the support the family had received after her mum's diagnosis.

"We had people sending us messages and giving us blankets and hand soap and stuff," she said.

"It was a really nice feeling knowing there was someone there for you, even if it was people you don't know."

Bella said that, inspired by the gifts people had given her and her siblings, her care packages would contain teddies, notebooks, sweets, lip balm and a note written by Bella herself.

She appealed for anyone to donate small teddies and other gifts to help her build her care packages.

Tracie said Bella had been using her online connections as a pageant queen to gain support for her cause.

The teenager was inspired to do pageantry by her mum and older sister, with all of them holding titles in an international pageant competition which focuses on participants' personal impact on the communities where they live.

Tracie said: "I think the benefit the girls get from going out and making a difference is huge."

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