Press Release

Press Release Cancer Services

We are so thankful and excited to be a part of Cancer Services by helping the children's program. We are also so honored they named the program after our daughter! Good things to come!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Connie Renée Boudreaux
Marketing Associate
(225) 927-2273 ext. 316
cboudreaux@cancerservices.org

Event Brings Agency Closer to Goal, Starts New Children’s Program
Announcing The Bella Bowman Children’s Program at Cancer Services

Baton Rouge, La.—March 21, 2013 – On Tuesday, March 19th, Cancer Services raised over $100,000 at a luncheon to kickoff its 2013 Annual Giving Program - the most significant donation being a $25,000 commitment from the Bella Bowman Foundation. As the agency’s newest mission partner, the foundation will collaborate with Cancer Services to develop the new children’s program and joins other mission partners Albemarle Corporation and The Cancer Program at Our Lady of the Lake and Mary Bird Perkins. In light of this partnership with the Bella Bowman Foundation, the services offered to children affected by cancer will now be known as The Bella Bowman Children’s Programs at Cancer Services.

In memory of their daughter Bella, Kim and Trey Bowman founded the Bella Bowman Foundation in 2012 after realizing the struggles many families encounter when a child is diagnosed with cancer. The foundation's mission is to create and support research initiatives for pediatric brain cancer, fund new and continuous education and offer comfort care to children and their families. This new partnership with Cancer Services will enable both organizations to better serve these families and children in meaningful ways. "We are honored for the opportunity to integrate the Bella Bowman Foundation's mission into the Children's Program within Cancer Services," said Trey Bowman, co-founder of the Bella Bowman Foundation. "Our unique ability to assist families with the non-medical needs that a family faces following a child's diagnosis of cancer will be of great service to Cancer Services and the families they support. We look forward to helping develop a new children’s program within Cancer Services."

Cancer Services Children’s Programs Coordinator Lindsay Wilson underscores the importance of the joint venture, “Together with the Bella Bowman Foundation, we are already planning new and exciting ways of reaching children with cancer and their families through The Bella Bowman Children’s Program of Cancer Services. We have a vision of being a ‘helping hand’ for every family living with a childhood cancer diagnosis in our ten parish area.”

In addition to the generous contribution from the Bella Bowman Foundation, the Annual Giving event was made possible through many members of the Baton Rouge community. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana underwrote the event and The Credit Bureau of Baton Rouge matched $25,000 raised that day. All money raised through Cancer Services’ Annual Giving stays in this community to benefit families affected by cancer by meeting the educational, financial and emotional needs that arise with a cancer diagnosis.

About The Bella Bowman Foundation
The Bella Bowman Foundation aims to create and support research initiatives for pediatric brain cancer, fund educational opportunities and offer non-medical comfort care to children diagnosed with cancer and the families who care for them. The Bella Bowman Foundation was founded in 2012 and is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The Bella Bowman Foundation has a unique ability to address emerging challenges that a family faces following a child's diagnosis of cancer. Please visitwww.bellabowman.org for more information or call (225) 291-9499.
Meeting the educational, financial, and emotional needs of families affected by cancer
www.cancerservices.org
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Press Release

So excited about the accomplishments we are striving for.  This press release cam out Friday.:

New Research Partnership Could Benefit Children with Brain Cancer

Bella Bowman Foundation and Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center team up

to study effects of proton therapy on pediatric patients

(Baton Rouge) – When seven-year-old Bella Bowman from Baton Rouge was diagnosed early in 2011 with a brain tumor, it was a rare side effect from proton radiation treatment – brain stem necrosis – that ultimately took her life. This prompted Bella’s parents, Trey and Kim Bowman, to establish the Bella Bowman Foundation to help other families dealing with the struggles of having a child diagnosed with brain cancer. Part of that help is to further research.

“Very little research has been done on the side effects of proton therapy for children with cancer,” said Trey Bowman. “We are fortunate to have found Dr. Wayne Newhauser, chief of physics at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center right here in Baton Rouge, who is heading a team researching side effects from radiation therapy.” Dr. Newhauser is also the Dr. Charles M. Smith Chair of Medical Physics at LSU, and Director of the Medical and Health Physics Graduate Education Program at LSU in partnership with Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center.

The Bella Bowman Foundation has announced a seed grant of $22,000 to the medical physics department of Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center to support research that aims to better understand the physics of how radiation causes necrosis. In particular, the funds provide a stipend to a medical physics graduate student, who will perform the research under the supervision of medical physics faculty.  Preliminary results from the study are expected by late 2014.

 “The longer-term ultimate goal is to provide cancer care specialists with tools to support clinical decision making, a complex task in personalized radiotherapy treatments for children,” said Dr. Newhauser. “We are grateful for the vision and support from the Bella Bowman Foundation. Bella’s story is an inspiration for us to work together to solve this rare but serious side effect.”

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About The Bella Bowman Foundation

The Bella Bowman Foundation aims to create and support research initiatives for pediatric brain cancer, fund educational opportunities and offer non-medical comfort care to children diagnosed with cancer and the families who care for them. The Bella Bowman Foundation was founded in 2012 and is a 501(c)(3) non-profit

organization. The Bella Bowman Foundation has a unique ability to address emerging challenges that a family faces following a child's diagnosis of cancer. Please visit www.bellabowman.org for more information or contact Trey Bowman at (225) 291-9499.

About Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center

Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center is a regional cancer care organization that has been fighting cancer for more than 40 years. With five centers in Baton Rouge, Covington, Hammond, Houma and Gonzales, its service area encompasses 18 parishes across southeast Louisiana. For more information, please visit www.marybird.org.

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Update on the Ball

To the 569 people who attended the Bella Bowman Foundation's second annual Bella’s Ball last Thursday at L’auberge Casino Hotel, we offer up a heartfelt 'Thank You' for opening your heart and donations to support our event and our mission.

For those of you unable to attend Bella's Ball, but who have been such great supporters of the Bella Bowman Foundation, we'd like to share with you some of the evening's highlights.

This year, Bella's Ball raised $137,777.  This is more than double the amount raised from the first Bella's Ball held last May, just ten months ago.  We are very proud to report that the entire event was made possible through donations and with 100% volunteer efforts.  This means that all of the funds raised at Bella's Ball go directly to serving children with cancer and their families caring for them during such a difficult time.

The compassion from our guests, sponsors, donors and volunteers is so touching to witness and receive.  We deeply appreciate the time, talent and treasures that were so generously shared to make the Bella Bowman Foundation and Bella's Ball such a great success.

The Bella Bowman Foundation will continue to turn your compassion and generosity into gifts of Courage, Strength, Faith and Belief for children that are diagnosed with cancer.  The success of Bella's Ball will allow us to continue our mission in the coming year.  We look forward to sharing updates with you as our annual planning takes form.

Thank you all again for your generosity.   

“You were given this life because you were strong enough to live it!”

Bella's Ball

What a amazing night!  It was beyond prefect!!  I cant wait to see the pictures.  Lovetrolux will send me a link to all the pictures and I will post them as soon as I get them!

Thank you to all the people who made this happen and also Thank you to all the people who came out and showed there support!
It was truly a night I will never forget!!  And I have this amazing picture to look at everyday to remind me!  Thank you Jacob!!!

Update

We’d like to share the exciting progress and upcoming activities of The Bella Bowman Foundation. Our mission of Research, Education and Comfort Care for those families in need is reflected in all that we do. We are most grateful to you for joining us in this cause. 

This past year, The Bella Bowman Foundation:

·       Sponsored a Halloween party at Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital, donating more than 30 costumes and coordinating arts and crafts, treats and a costume parade.

·       Delivered gifts to the staff at Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays in appreciation for all they do for the children in our local community.

·       Hosted a Christmas party at Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital, where Santa delivered more than 60 presents door-to-door for every child there. We are grateful to the children of Powell Moise School of Dance who helped raise money to buy all of these gifts! 

·       Began the process of collaborating with Dr. Wayne Newhauser and his team on Radiation Tissue Necrosis research initiatives. Dr. Newhauser is the Dr. Charles M. Smith Chair of Medical Physics Professor and Director of Medical Physics and Health Physics at LSU, as well as Chief of Physics at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. We are fortunate to have found Dr. Newhauser here in our community. To date, there is very little research on this topic and it is our goal to help improve the outcome for children that are treated with radiation as cancer survivors.

·       Launched our Comfort Care Bag project to support the families of sick children. Comfort Care Bags include blankets, toothbrushes, Chap Stick, Advil, socks, change for vending machines, notepads, calendars and other simple necessities that provide comfort and care to families. Our first delivery was made and the response from the families was overwhelming. 

·       TEAM BELLA raised over $2200 and 31 participants for the St. Jude Children’s Hospital – Give Thanks Walk, in Baton Rouge, LA 

  

Upcoming activities:

·       Donate 30 Comfort Care Bags each month to every child’s family at the Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital.  Comfort Care Bags are one way we feel that provides a need to families.

·       Host our Second Annual Bella’s Ball on March 7, 7 p.m. at L’Auberge Casino

o   6 p.m. – 7 p.m.  Cocktail Hour.

o   Tickets can be purchased early on our website: www.bellabowman.org or at SoHo Boutique Salon, for $50 or $75 at the door the night of the event. The event will include a silent auction, live music by MoJeaux, fun games to win prizes and food/drinks provided by multiple local restaurants. A discounted block of rooms under the Bella Bowman Foundation is available to guests.

We are proud of the accomplishments made in less than a year’s time. More importantly, we are enthusiastic that together, we can do so much more. We thank you for your ongoing support and hope to see you at Bella’s Ball.  Please visit our website for new updates: www.bellabowman.org.

 

Kind Regards,

Raffle

Come by and get your ticket for the Raffle at SOHO Boutique Salon!
Its a Tory Burch purse with accessories!  Linen Tote Purse, Small Classic Cosmetic bag, Continental Zip Wallet, and Tortoise Sunglasses with Case.
Tickets are $10.00 and the Drawing will be held at Bella's Ball.
Winner not be present and 100% proceeds benefit the Bella Bowman Foundation!

Bella's Ball

We are selling tickets now!  $50 pre sale and $75 at the door.  Hope you can come this year!

Comfort Care Bags

We are so excited to report that the Bella Bowman Foundation delivered our first round of Comfort Care Bags to OLOL Children's Hospital.  It is a bag full of items to help families feel more comfortable while they are dealing with difficult issues and decisions and also having to stay for an extended time in the hospital.  We hope to be able to donate monthly to the hospital.

A BIG THANK YOU to Pam Rock, Pediatric Dental Specialist of Baton Rouge, Goudeau's Health Mart Pharmacy, and SOHO Boutique Salon for donating item for the bags.

Happy Thanksgiving

Today and everyday I am thankful for all the support my friends and family have given us throughout our journey with Bella.
I want to share this prayer that Brother Bill Compton wrote for Bella when she was 3 years old. She memorized this prayer and she would tell me the prayer every night before we went to bed. It is a very found memory of how strong her faith was and I am very thankful for ha

ving! I hope it helps you and gives you the faith, hope, strength and belief that it gave Bella.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. The father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort us in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

Great and mighty God, we give you thanks this very moment in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, for the miracle that is now taking place in Bella's body, mind, spirt and soul. Dear Father we accept this gift of healing with all joy and confidence knowing that you are indeed able to do this!

We are now looking into the future and we see Bella's inner strength fighting off all illnesses and here sprit growing beyond human understanding.

Dear God direct her character to never accept any defeat to always be positive and to see to it that only good things come her way.

We know that prayers last forever. We thank you every time this prayer is read, uncomprehendable power will fill her body. Let nothing stand in the way of all these request being fulfilled immediately.

In Jesus Christ most holy name
Amen

I can still hear her sweet little voice reading the prayer to me! Happy Thanksgiving!

Mistletoe Market

Come by and see us at our booth today and Sunday at Mistletoe Market at the Belle!

http://www.mistletoemarketbr.com

Hope to see you there!

OLOL Children's Hospital Halloween Party

The Bella Bowman Foundation put a lot of smiles on sick children who could not trick or treat at home on Halloween. We took pictures and made photo frames as a keep sake and we donated costumes to all the children. They were so excited to

 have a brand new costume for the parade they had in the hospital.! Thank you Lisa, Donna, Leah, Suzanne, Janet (Grammy) for making their Halloween so special. And also thank you Maddie and OLOL Children's Hospital for allowing us to be there!

St Jude Give Thanks Run

JOIN OUR TEAM!  We will have a TEAM BELLA T-shirt pick up Friday, November 16 at SOHO Salon from 9am to 2pm.


http://fundraising.stjude.org/site/TR/GiveThanksWalk/GTW?team_id=28836&pg=team&fr_id=3681

SAVE THE DATE

SAVE THE DATE FOR ANOTHER WONDERFUL EVENING!

Mistletoe Market

We are so excited to have a booth at Mistletoe Market this weekend.  Come by and see us!  Also if you Signed up for the Give Thanks St Jude walk for Team Bella we will have the shirts there to pick up.

http://www.mistletoemarketbr.com

St Jude Remembrance Memorial Service

Trey and Baylor and I went to St Jude this weekend to remember and honor Bella.  It was the first time we have been back to St Jude since Bella has died.  It was a roller coaster of emotions but we are so glad we went.  We got to see the doctors and nurses.  They told us that they never got to say goodbye.  Her Doctor has her picture in his office. There were so many families and too many children who have died.  We will always be a part of the St Jude family and Bella will never be forgotten.  With your help we can help St Jude.  Go the St. Jude's website and sign up for the Give Thanks walk in November in Baton Rouge.  Our teams name is Team Bella.  Also if you haven't already please go to Facebook and LIKE our foundation page to get updates!  Bella Bowman Foundation page.  Please help us spread the word!

Gentle Hands

I am very excited about speaking at Gentle Hands Tuesday evening at St. Aloysius. I love sharing Bella's story. It helps me feel like she is here with me and never forgotten!


Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you… Jeremiah 1:5

Gentle Hands Memorial Service

Join us for an evening memorial service
for families who have suffered the loss of a child.
All faiths are welcome.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012
6:30 pm
St. Aloysius Catholic Church

We invite you to arrive early to sit in the garden
and pray or reflect near the Gentle Hands Sculpture.

Gentle Hands is a ministry of St. Aloysius Parish that ministers to families that have suffered the death of a child through miscarriage, stillbirth, early infant loss or other tragedies.

For more information, e-mail: Michelle Breaux @ 4breaux@att.net

Bella received her Birthday Wishes!

COURAGE, BELIEF, FAITH and STRENGTH - - -This is what Bella taught us!

You may remember this story from Easter…After church Easter Sunday morning, Baylor, Kim and Trey went to visit Bella at her grave.  It was a special day for us.  We asked Bella to please let us know that you are OK and this simple prayer was answered.  When we got home there was a white dove next to the pond.  This dove stayed with us all day.  After calling Sister Uyen and sharing this good news, she said “that would make sense, Bella the red bird did not visit me today; she came to see you in her Easter white”  This day was very special because Bella sent a sign through to confirm with us that she is OK.  Three days later the white dove appeared again right outside of Trey’s office window.  This was brief but long enough for a few photos’ and yet again fueling our COURAGE, BELIEF, FAITH and STRENGTH.

Saturday September 8^th was Bella’s Birthday.  We celebrated that morning at Chick-fil-A with a helium balloon launch.  All red balloons with white ribbons tied to them along with a message that children / adults wrote to send  Bella in Heaven. We know that Bella received these messages because we found one.  While cutting the grass this past Saturday (one week from the launch), Trey ran over a red balloon with a white ribbon.  Unfortunately the white ribbon was shredded, but he was able to get the red balloon.   This balloon traveled for miles back to Bella’s House and landed directly across the driveway from where we saw the white dove, Easter Sunday morning.  No message was attached, because we are sure that Bella kept it.  We are confident this is Bella communicating to us, since we never did have these balloon’s at our house…there was not a possible chance that one escaped…This was Bella, fueling our COURAGE, BELIEF, FAITH and STRENGTH!  Thank you Bella!

Please share / like this story with someone or others.  Hopefully it will have a positive impact on them; as it did for us!

 

Happy Birthday Bella!

SAVE THE DATE!

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8!  COME CELEBRATE WITH US AND SEND BELLA A BALLOON ON HER BIRTHDAY!  DETAILS TO COME!

Making New Memories

Another hard hurdle I had to go through today.  This is a picture of Bellas dance bag and uniform from last year.  I got it out of her closet because I am registering Baylor tomorrow for her first year of dance at Powell Moise and I needed to know what fit?  Well everything fit her.  She was so excited to wear her big sis dance uniform.  Before Bella passed away I asked her if it was ok if Baylor went to her dance studio.  Bella told me yes but not in her class.  It is so ironic that Baylor's class time is the same class time Bella's was last year.  It is going to be hard to do the same routine without my Bella but what I have learned through many counseling sessions is I have to live through it and make new memories to lift some of the pain.  I'm trying to do it but some things are just so hard.  I don't know why God has put me through the many hardships in my life that I have gone through in only 39 short years but I can only hope that the payoff is unimaginable and will be amazing!