Help Bella Bounce Back

Early in the spring this year, Bella was prescribed drugs to alleviate the psychological effects of a serious physical illness. Paradoxically, these drugs intensified the conditions they were intended to treat and she was plunged into a confusing and painful darkness. Bella’s body began to physically shut down leaving her unable to walk, talk, sleep or eat. This appeal hopes to raise the money - $20,000 - needed to rescue Bella from that ongoing turmoil and return her to her normal happy and productive life and to cover the mounting expenses already incurred by her family in her treatment so far.

Bella’s Story


Everyone who knows Bella (Denbeigh) Bowes benefits from her warmth, kindness, creativity, wit, and eagerness to help.  As a member of the Propeller Dance Company, Bella not only shines on stage, but also introduces new generations to integrated dance as a respected teaching assistant. That same spirit of joy and play is on colourful display in her many paintings.   In spite of having been born with autism and the enormous challenges that presents, Bella leads a rich, fulfilling life.


On a recent holiday with her parents, Bella came down with a debilitating, life-threatening infection and had to be flown home to Ottawa where she was admitted into hospital.  Although antibiotics took care of the infection, a regimen of experiments with and cold-turkey withdrawals from drugs prescribed to combat her heightened anxiety has had devastating side effects, intensifying the anxiety and inducing self-harming compulsive behavior and catatonia. Bella’s body began to physically shut down leaving her unable to walk, talk, sleep or eat. She rapidly lost over 20 pounds.

Members of her family sat with her in hospital round the clock for two weeks to comfort her through invasive tests and to protect her from herself. During this time the Bowes incurred over $8,000 on Bella’s recovery for care above and beyond what the hospital would provide.

Now she is back at home however, the side effects of the drugs persist. She has to be under constant surveillance, is suffering constant distress and has a long road to go in her physical recovery. Bella’s treatment is the responsibility of the Bowes and involves two expensive components. First: since she and her family are still sleep deprived, she needs overnight care provided by an agency for at least one month, at a minimum cost of $9,000. 

The second component will be therapy. Behavioral, communications, art, physical, music, and riding therapies, for example, may be prescribed to get her back to good health and her normal life. These therapies are expensive and unfortunately are not covered by insurance.

Bella’s parents, Bob and Lynda, firmly believe that with the necessary support, Bella will overcome the distressing effects of her medication - the catatonia, the crippling anxiety, and the self-harming compulsive behavior.

We all have faith in Bella.  She is a trooper and she is supported by a powerful, dedicated team, her family. Now we can help them get through a very difficult time by contributing financially to Bella’s healing. Let’s get Bella back to the happy life she previously enjoyed, to her dancing and painting, to teaching, to uncomplicated, easy times with friends, to the sense of security and love of life she has established with the help of her family.