TikTok star Bella Bradford has died at age 24 — but not before filming a final video on the social media app, knowing it would be her last.
Bradford was battling a rare form of cancer called Rhabdomyosarcoma in her jaw muscle. She was diagnosed with the illness in 2021.
The influencer said her goodbye to fans with a last “get ready with me” video intended to be shared after her death. A message was shared with the 11-minute clip, revealing Bradford died “peacefully” and “surrounded by the people she loves most” on Tuesday, Oct. 15.
Bradford started her video by thanking her fans for being “on this fun journey” with her.
“I hope that you can look back on all my videos and find a little bit of joy in your day, if you ever need a pick-me-up,” she stated. “Remember that you live every day, and you only die once, so make every day count.”
For her last “get ready with me,” Bradford put on a khaki halter dress and paired it with a white cardigan and black ballet flats. She accessorized her look with a brown baseball cap, a pearl teddy bear necklace and stylish, oval sunglasses.
The social media star concluded with a heartbreaking message.
“Thank you guys so much for this wild and wonderful ride. I hope you all have beautiful, amazing lives,” she shared. “I wish all the best for every single one of you.”
Six months before her death, Bradford shared details of her cancer diagnosis, which she received at just 22 years old. She underwent a year of treatment, including radiotherapy, chemotherapy and fertility operations.
She also had several surgeries to remove her tumor and reconstruct her jaw.
Bradford told her followers that she went into “intermission” with her cancer and planned to go on a trip to Europe with friends; however, just 10 days before her travel plans, she discovered her cancer had returned in the same spot and had grown “majorly.”
She was told that her condition had progressed into “incurable” stages and she was a “palliative cancer patient.”
Bradford’s posthumous video was published on Oct. 31 and included a lengthy goodbye message to her followers.
“Thank you for all your love and support throughout my final stages of life, I am so grateful,” the influencer wrote, adding, “Filming these videos truly brought me a sense of puropse [sic] in my final few months and also connected me with a very kind community of people.”
She again wished her TikTok supporters a “beautiful life” and a reminder to “live each day with as much significance as the next.”
“What a privilege it is to grow old. 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,” Bradford added.
