News : A Legacy of Hope: Honoring Bella Denny and Raising Awareness

In her 13 remarkable years, Izabella "Bella" Hope Denny touched countless lives with her unyielding spirit, contagious laughter, and boundless love. Born on July 18, 2011, Bella was cherished as a beloved daughter, sister, granddaughter, and friend. She was her family's heart, her father Chris's little princess, and her brother Isiah's partner-in-crime. Her life, though tragically marked by adversity, became a shining example of resilience, courage, and love.

Bella's journey took a heartbreaking turn on May 18, 2013, when a drunk driver collided head-on with the car carrying her and her mother, Rachel. The accident claimed Rachel's life and left Bella with a traumatic brain injury and a spinal cord injury, rendering her ventilator-dependent and paralyzed from the neck down. Despite being given only a 5% chance of surviving the first 24 hours, Bella defied the odds, beginning a lifelong fight with unwavering determination.

Bella's story is one of resilience. She spent months at the University of Iowa and later at Shriners Children's Hospital in Chicago, where her tenacity and bright spirit earned her admiration from medical staff and fellow patients alike. Returning home to Coggon, Iowa, Bella became the heart of her family, surrounded by the steadfast love of her father, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and siblings.

Her light only grew stronger as her family expanded. With four new sisters and their mom, Christina, joining the family, Bella embraced the change with open arms, quickly becoming the glue that bonded them together. The siblings affectionately known as "The Six Pack," shared laughter, memories, and a connection that words can scarcely describe.

Bella thrived in the Shellsburg community, attending school with "her kids," the classmates who became her cheerleaders and closest friends. She sang in choir concerts, cheered on her siblings at their sports games, and even earned the nickname "Coach Bella" while helping her dad coach softball. She had a love for life's simple pleasures-shopping trips to Target, sipping vanilla bean frappes, and singing along to her favorite artists, Luke Combs and the Newsboys.

While Bella's laughter and sass brought joy to her family and friends, her story also became a call to action. Her family, motivated by love and a desire to prevent similar tragedies, has dedicated themselves to raising awareness about the devastating impact of drunk driving and the struggles faced by families of children with traumatic brain injuries.

Through their efforts, Bella's legacy lives on. Her family has created a GoFundMe campaign to establish a nonprofit organization in her honor. The goal is to provide resources, advocacy, and support for families navigating the challenges of caring for children with severe injuries. By sharing Bella's story, they hope to inspire change and bring awareness to the dangers of impaired driving.

Bella's life, though far too short, was filled with love, laughter, and an undeniable spirit that will continue to shine brightly in the hearts of all who knew her. As her family honors her memory, they invite others to join them in creating a legacy of hope-one that ensures Bella's light will guide and inspire others for generations to come.

Several who worked with Bella shared their memories. Alexa Francois said, "Bella was beyond courageous. Anytime you saw her, she would have a smile on her face. She was absolutely a ray of hope with the special ability to brighten anyone's day that she was around. Bella was full of sass and always enjoyed being able to give others a hard time. Bella was beyond special. It's hard to put into words just how special she was!"

Koal Marshall shared as well how Bella was an excellent student who gave her best effort in everything she did. "During writing time, she loved to write letters to her mother. Free time was usually spent karaoking with Mr. Marshall (specifically songs from Frozen, Aladdin, and Taylor Swift). She loved listening to stories such as Harry Potter, where she could relate to the character Hermione who has beautiful, long brown hair just like her. She took great pride in being part of the Hufflepuff House."
Stephanie Miller had the great opportunity to work with Bella during the past two school years. "This last school year I was able to go to her home to work with her while she was homebound. Bella was an absolute ray of hope. She was a friend to everyone she met and she was very popular amongst her classmates. Her presence in our schools helped foster an environment of inclusion and acceptance. Her abilities to participate in the school curriculum is a testament to what can be done if you have the right assistive technology and the perseverance to do hard things. I am sad for those who never got the opportunity to meet Bella as she made everyone around her a better person," Miller said.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Bella's GoFundMe page to support the nonprofit initiative and help carry forward her legacy of resilience, love, and hope.

Bella's celebration of life information can be found here.