Known as Bella Brave to her TikTok followers, she was invited by Jessica Vosk onstage for a show-stopping rendition of 'Don't Rain on My Parade'.
Bella Thomson may only be eight years old, but she's an internet sensation, known as Bella Brave, with more than 5 million TikTok followers.
Recently, the 8-year-old from Saskatchewan received a standing ovation at the David Foster Foundation gala on Saturday night, all thanks to Broadway star Jessica Vosk, according to PEOPLE.
The little one, who is experiencing bowel failure and is currently on the list for a bowel transplant, and her mother, Kyla Thomson, were special guests at David Foster's A Night on Broadway gala in Toronto.
The event was conducted to raise funds, especially for Canadian families with children in need of life-saving organ transplants. At the event, Bella and Kyla were documenting their experience on social media.
"I was in the middle of singing 'Don't Rain on My Parade,' and I just looked down into the audience and saw her dancing by herself in the aisle, living her best life, and I knew she had to come on stage and have a complete star moment," Vosk shared.
"David Foster stopped the band, and the audience went wild, and she stole the show! And she stole my heart too. She is stronger than I will ever be."
It's safe to say that Bella had a lot of fun, but she almost didn't make it to the show, given how she was experiencing some stomach and bowel pain earlier that day. "I just told her, 'Honey, if you need a day of rest, just rest. You know, your health and safety is more important than any show,' " Kyla explained.
"And she's like, 'Mom, I think I'll be okay.' She had a nap, we did some medical care and, before I knew it, she's like, 'Mom, I wanna get my dress on. Let's go party!' "
Meanwhile, Vosk shared this special moment with her Instagram followers after the performance.
"This is Bella. She is patiently awaiting an organ transplant, and in the face of daily struggle, she has never stopped smiling," she captioned a photo of them together on stage. "It was one of the most special moments of my life. Afterward, she said, 'This was my dream.' "
Ever since Bella's birth in 2013, she has experienced several medical and genetic conditions. According to the family's page on the David Foster Foundation website, Bella was diagnosed with Hirschsprung's disease, a disease that affects an infant's intestines, in addition to severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) and a form of dwarfism called cartilage hair hypoplasia.
Also, due to her SCID, she had to have a bone marrow transplant when she was just one year old.
"There's just been so many painful procedures and medical procedures she's had to endure at home and in hospital. To see her feeling so good and just loving the music, and being able to dance and enjoy herself, for her this was an experience that was breathtaking. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for her," Kyla said.
References:
https://davidfosterfoundation.com/bella/
Cover Image Source: David Foster Foundation
