HANOVER COUNTY, Va. — A Hanover County family will continue their mission this Saturday that honors their daughter's memory, while raising money for a family dealing with similar situation.
The fifth annual "Gift for Bella Day" will take place the Milestone Pool and Clubhouse at 11030 Milestone Dr. in Mechanicsville Saturday, May 2, from noon to 3 p.m.
The event is being hosted by the family of Bella Francesca, who was diagnosed with leukemia in 2021. She chose to share her journey online, building a following from around the globe. She passed away in 2022.
"Those same people — Nova Scotia, Cape Town, South Africa, all over — they continue to follow Bella's story," her mother, Chrissy Francesca, said. "It's been growing legs...I'll forever be grateful."
When Bella was in the hospital, her supporters held a fundraiser called "A Gift for Bella Day" to help the Francesca family. They have kept it going since, helping a new family each year.
"It's exciting. It's a it's a huge undertaking, but it's amazing," Francesca said.
"It's definitely been hard doing it without her, but I know that she would have been happy that we're going to keep doing it," added Jake, Bella's twin brother.
This year's fundraiser will benefit the Callaway family.
Chloe Callaway, 14, was diagnosed with a central conducting lymphatic anomaly when she was 8.
"It's rare. It's life threatening, and she has one of the rarest presentations of this disease," explained her mom, Emily Callaway.
Callaway, said Chloe tried to start high school last August but has been in and out of the hospital dealing with the cancer and an infection.
"So it's been really difficult last few months."
Emily said her daughter's personality continues to shine through despite the challenges.
"She's magnetic. Everybody who's around her instantly gravitates towards her. Especially the nurses who care for her become her best friends and she calls them her best friends," Emily said. "She loves being around kids. She lights up around younger kids. So she's the best sister in the world and she's just a friend to everyone."
Emily said what the Francescas are doing means a great deal to their family of seven.
"Especially now, when Chloe's future is really unknown and what we're going through is really tough. And just them recognizing that and coming alongside of us, not just for this day, but just as a friend," Emily said. "Chrissy is a wonderful person and seeing them celebrate their daughter and honor their daughter by celebrating and honoring our daughter, it just means the world to us."
Francesca said the Callaways were almost a family featured a few years ago, but they were not able to connect and is glad they finally have.
"People say, 'God wink'. I say a 'Bella wink'. She was brought back my way, right? And I was drawn to her story," said Francesca. "What they're going through is massive and hard. And my heart was drawn towards her. When a kid's sick, it's the whole it's the whole family. The kid has it the worst, for sure, but It affects the whole family, the dynamics forever."
Francesca said she hopes the Callaways leave Saturday's event knowing their circle of support just got a whole lot bigger.
"I hope they take away a whole group, a whole other group of support, and I hope that the people that show up Saturday to support them continue to check in on them, because it's not just one day," Chrissy said. "People need to understand the power of their actions and their words, and how powerful and helpful that can be to a family."
Francesca added that this year's "Gift for Bella Day" could be her last as the event takes an emotional and mental toll on her and her other children are getting older.
But she said, even if the event stops the family will continue to honor Bella's legacy in some fashion.
"I'll decide later in the summer," said Francesca. "But, we'll never stop giving and doing and helping in Bella's name."
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