“What a privilege it is to grow old.”
A TikTok star announced her death in a heartbreaking pre-recorded video, after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer at the age of 24.
Earlier this year, Aussie-based Bella Bradford built up a platform on the video sharing app detailing what it was like to live as a young person with cancer.
Bella had been diagnosed with an aggressive cancer in her jaw back in December 2021 after experiencing pain in her jaw, believing it to be wisdom tooth pain at the time. She underwent surgery to remove the tumour as well as rounds of radio and chemotherapy and relearning how to talk.
However, her cancer would later be deemed incurable, and Bella was placed onto palliative care, which aimed at improving a terminally ill patient’s quality of life.
The influencer had documented her love of fashion alongside her cancer journey (TikTok/bellabradford0)
Bella also shared her love for clothes and fashion, posting regular outfit of the day (OOTD) and get ready with me (GRWM) videos to showcase her style.
In an 11-minute, pre-recorded video posted to her TikTok, Bella explained how this would be her last ever video, saying: “I have terminal cancer and unfortunately, by now, my life has come to an end, and I’ve passed away.
She continued: “But I wanted to do one final ‘Get Ready with Me’ because I love doing these, and I love fashion. Thank you for following me on this fun journey. I hope you will look back on all my videos and find a little bit of joy in your day if you ever need to feel it.”
Bella then went on to share her final outfit, which consisted of a khaki dress, white button up cardigan, sunglasses and a black baseball cap.
Stepping back to unveil the finished look at the end of the video, Bella said her final goodbye to her followers and urged them to make the most of their lives.
“Thank-you guys for this wild and wonderful ride. I hope you all have beautiful and amazing lives and I wish all the best for every single one of you.”
Bella ended the video by sharing her final look and thanked followers for their support (TikTok/bellabradford0)
The post’s caption went on to reveal that Bella had passed away on 15 October, just over two weeks before the video was shared online alongside her final message, which read: “Thank you for all your love and support throughout my final stages of life, I am so grateful. Filming these videos truly brought me a sense of purpose in my final few months and also connected me with a very kind community of people.
“I wish you all a beautiful life and please remember to live each day with as much significance as the next.
“What a privilege it is to grow old.”
Featured Image Credit: (TikTok/bellabradford0)
