'She can survive now': Sask. girl who became TikTok sensation recovers from life-saving bowel transplant
Bella Thomson, 9, received an organ donation she'd waited for since 2020
A young girl from Swift Current, Sask., had waited three years for a life-saving bowel transplant — and just over a week ago, she got it.
Nine-year-old Bella Thomson was born with three rare conditions: dwarfism, severe combined immunodeficiency and Hirschsprung's disease, which affects the bowel.
"I'm good," Bella told CBC News from her hospital room in the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto — also known as SickKids.
Her positivity became an overnight sensation on TikTok in 2021, after her mother posted a video of her drawing a fox for a short story. She now has millions of followers on TikTok, including pop singer Halsey, who sent Bella a gift of art supplies.
Hirschsprung's disease affects the large intestine — or colon. It occurs because a baby is missing nerve cells in the muscles that help pass food through the bowel, according to the Mayo Clinic. Blockages can form in their bowel as a result, causing the colon to swell.
Kids with the disease are prone to enterocolitis, an intestinal infection that can be life-threatening. Surgery to bypass or remove the affected part of the colon is the only treatment.
For years, Bella dealt with pain and distension, and used IVs and total parenteral nutrion (TPN), said Kyla Thomson, Bella's mother.
TPN is a way of feeding that bypasses the gastrointestinal tract. The person is fed liquid nutrients — such as vitamins, carbohydrates and protein — through a vein.
In 2020, Bella's doctors put her on the transplant list because she was lacking in vascular access, meaning the girl would have trouble inserting IVs, Kyla said.
Bella needed to wait for another child's bowels to become available for the surgery, Kyla said, adding that their family is grateful to the organ donor's family, who approved the donation.
"She can survive now, because she has new bowels," Kyla said. "That journey will be brand new for us in every way."
While she previously worked as a teacher, Kyla said she left her job to be a full-time "medical mom."
Bella will still need to receive immune boosters due to her immunodeficiency, Kyla said, but the surgery will alleviate her daughter's pain and the need to use IVs, among other things.
"The freedom for her is huge — and all of us together," she said. "We had to live our life not knowing when the next hospital stay would be and how long it would last."
First day with solid food
Bella will have to stay at the hospital in Toronto from three months to a year, she said. Bella's mom, dad and younger brother are all in Toronto with her.
But her doctors are incredibly pleased with the operation and how the girl's recovering, Kyla said.
Kyla was told by doctors that a post-operation scope of Bella's bowel showed no signs of rejection. Bella has started walking again, and the day she spoke with CBC News was her first day eating solid food.
That day, she had eaten oatmeal with cinnamon and apple slices for breakfast. Lunch was half of a roast beef sandwich with lettuce and low-fat mayo, Bella said.
Rice with soy sauce was on the menu for dinner, she added.
Bella, who has spent hundreds of days in hospital during her life, has become Internet famous during her health journey.
Bella told CBC News she has a message for other children waiting for a transplant.
"Be very careful. Have lots of fun. And stay brave," she said.
With files from Sam Maciag and Nicholas Frew