TikTok star Bella Bradford has announced her death in a pre-recorded video posted after her passing.
The 24-year-old’s final “Get Ready with Me” video was posted on her TikTok account on October 31, following her battle with a rare form of cancer. The post came days after her passing, with the caption indicating that she died on October 15.
“I have terminal cancer and unfortunately, by now, my life has come to an end, and I’ve passed away,” she said at the beginning of the 11-minute clip. “But I wanted to do one final ‘Get Ready with Me’ because I love doing these, and I love fashion. Thank you for following me on this fun journey. I hope you will look back on all my videos and find a little bit of joy in your day if you ever need to feel it.”
In the video, Bradford showed herself wearing a khaki halter dress styled with a white cardigan and gold necklaces, one of which had a pearl chain with a teddy bear charm. She completed her “outfit of the day” with black ballet flats, sunglasses, and a brown hat, as she held her leather purse in her hand.
She concluded her clip by expressing her gratitude for her followers who’ve continued to watch her videos. “Thank you guys so much for this wild and wonderful ride,” she said. “I hope you all have beautiful, amazing lives. And I wish all the best for every single one of you.”
The caption noted that Bradford “passed away peacefully surrounded by the people she loves the most” on October 15. The post included a sweet message from Bradford, as she reflected on her experience on TikTok and shared her love for those who have supported her online.
“Thank you for all your love and support throughout my final stages of life, I am so grateful. Filming these videos truly brought me a sense of purpose in my final few months and also connected me with a very kind community of people,” she wrote in the message. “I wish you all a beautiful life and please remember to live each day with as much significance as the next. What a privilege it is to grow old.”
She concluded: “Thank you for allowing me to be myself on this platform, I really felt excited each day to jump on here and connect over our shared love of life and fashion.”
In May, Bradford posted another “Get Ready with Me” video, in which she discussed her diagnosis and described her experiences as a “palliative cancer patient.” She explained that at the age of 22, she was “diagnosed with a really rare form of cancer in [her] jaw muscle.” Although she explained that her condition was “incurable,” she said she still got a “new treatment” which involved surgeries to remove her tumors, along with radio and chemotherapy.
After being in remission for five months, she was once again diagnosed with cancer. However, when filming her video at the time, she said she was undergoing different forms of treatment.
According to the American Cancer Society, “palliative care is a special approach to caring for anyone” with cancer. This type of care “focuses on improving the quality of life by helping patients and caregivers manage the symptoms of a serious illness and side effects of treatment.”
Palliative care is also “designed to work with the health care team to help people with a serious illness live as well as they can for as long as they can.”
On her TikTok account – which has more than 14,000 followers – Bradford frequently posted “Get Ready with Me” videos, in which she filmed herself putting on her makeup and outfit for the day.
The Independent has contacted a representative for Bradford for comment.
