7-year-old fighting multiple health conditions brings smiles to millions on TikTok

Posted By: Staff
February 27, 2021 @ 7:43 am
ABC Health

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Kyla Thompson

Kyla ThompsonBy NICOLE PELLETIERE, ABC News

(NEW YORK) — A girl who’s been hospitalized for most of her life is inspiring millions with her contagious spirit.

Isabella Thompson, 7, was born with hirschsprung’s disease, severe combined immunodeficiency and a form of dwarfism. Bella has had 21 surgeries, including a bone marrow transplant, and is on the wait list for a bowel transplant.

“She’s definitely shown me that she’s very resilient all on her own,” Bella’s mom, Kyla Thompson, of Swift Current, Canada, told ABC News’ Good Morning America.

“I want to show the positive because she goes through so [many] medical hardships, and she bounces back,” she added.

Thompson, also mom to 2-year-old Waylon, said Bella visits Cypress Regional Hospital in Swift Current monthly to receive infusion therapy for her SCID.

During her treatments, Thompson documents and shares Bella’s journey on Instagram and TikTok, where millions have reacted to her sparkling personality.

“It just blows people away,” Thompson said. “I realized that she is just happy and bubbly and outgoing no matter the amount of surgeries … she’s so well-spoken and will talk to you like she’s your best friend the moment she meets you.”

On Jan. 29, Thompson shared a video on TikTok of Bella dancing to a song from the popular kids’ film Trolls. The footage garnered four million views, and Thompson said she received many heartfelt messages and well wishes for Bella.

“A lot of adults are like, ‘If I have a bad day, I’m stressed out’ or ‘I’m going through a similar medical scenario and Bella gives me a joy,'” Thompson said. “It’s exactly what I hoped for — to give people a sense of hope.”

Dr. Billie Au is a clinical geneticist at Alberta Children’s Hospital who’s worked with Bella.

Au told GMA that Bella having the three conditions is rare, though they’re all due to the same genetic cause.

“Cognitively, she’s a very smart kid,” Au said. “She goes to school. None of this affects her brain at all. I’ve always been really impressed at how Isabella and her family [are] happy and adjusted … despite of what she’s had to go through.”

Bella is in second grade and is learning remotely. She enjoys singing, dancing, Legos, hiking, playing in the snow and reading comments from her followers.