'I want to make her proud': Bella Brave's mother talks life after daughter's death and plans to continue her legacy

Swift Current, Sask. -

The last two months after losing her daughter Bella have been extremely difficult for Kyla Thomson. 

"Living without her here physically with me and with that physical comfort has been really hard,” she said. 

Ten-year-old Bella passed away on July 14 after being admitted to the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.

"Her oxygen requirement continued to get worse, even though multiple tests showed no infection, no viral issues,” Kyla said.

Bella died after her lungs failed. The family said they are still waiting to hear from Bella’s medical team on what caused her lungs to fail.

She battled several health conditions from the time she was born.

Kyla documented much of their health journey online under the name Bella Brave.

Navigating through the grief she said has been incredibly hard at times. Changes to an everyday routine as a medical mom that was, has been hard.

"Just like opening the cup cupboard door and none of her medications are there anymore. It's kind of another wave of grief that hits you in the face everyday," she said.

Kyla Thomson with her daughter Isabella. (Courtesy: KylaCT/Instagram)Following Bella’s death, Kyla said her family was not immediately offered grief supports.

"I would have hoped that maybe there was a closer understanding to how grief therapy could be offered no matter where you are from," she said.

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She wishes they would have been offered supports sooner.

“They way things are set up, there are gaps. There are loopholes. It’s really not set up for the best continuity of care and we know that, but it’s our society that we live in,” said Sara Halipchuk, a counsellor with Prairie Heart Counselling.

“Some specific hospitals across the country do provide bereaved families with support programming, regardless of home province,” said the Ministry of Health in a statement to CTV News. “Grief programming offered in Saskatchewan virtually, could potentially be accessed by a grieving loved one while they are still out-of-province.”

Kyla plans to continue advocating by supporting others and teaching them about what it means to be brave. She plans to continue posting on social media and being a part of Bella’s ambassadorships.

"I want to make her proud because she taught me what bravery is and so I will find my bravery in everything I do,” she said.