The Live Like Bella Pavilion at Miami Children’s Hospital is an $8.5 million project that will serve as a temporary housing facility for families of children undergoing treatments
September 17, 2014 – Miami, FL – On the heels of a much anticipated first annual “Bella’s Ball” presented by Tutti Bambini this past Saturday, Sept. 13, the Live Like Bella™ Foundation proudly announced the creation of the Live Like Bella Pavilion at Miami Children’s Hospital, which will offer temporary lodging for families of children receiving inpatient care at the hospital.
The Live Like Bella Pavilion is an $8.5 million project that will consist of a four-story building, inscribed with the words Live Like Bella written in red, childlike handwriting and a smiling sun. The building housed on the Miami Children’s Hospital main campus is expected to be completed by mid-2018.
Raymond Rodriguez- Torres, father of Bella Rodriguez-Torres, made the announcement alongside Lucy Morillo, president and CEO of Miami Children’s Health Foundation, unveiling a preliminary rendering of the Live Like Bella Pavillon on stage before nearly a thousand guests. During the program, Rodriguez-Torres also shared with the audience key medical information pertaining to Bella’s six-year battle against Rhabdomyosarcoma – an aggressive form of childhood cancer. After explaining the difficult and ultimately very tragic end to her fight, he presented new, exciting medical research information that will bring them one step closer to finding a cure.
“We are incredibly thankful to the Live Like Bella™ Foundation for coming together for the children through the Bella’s Promise partnership, in support of Together for the Children, The Campaign for Miami Children’s Hospital (MCH),” said Lucy Morillo, president and CEO of Miami Children’s Health Foundation. “The Live Like Bella™ Pavilion will allow our patient families to find the comfort and support they need to reduce the stresses of being far from home.”
“Bella” captured the hearts of millions. Although she passed away at the age of 10 on May 28, 2013, she inspired a movement, leaving behind an undeniably strong legacy, and urging people to #LiveLikeBella. Tomorrow Bella’s legacy will not only be felt, and remembered, but seen via the recently named “The Live Like Bella™ Park” and soon at the “The Live Like Bella™ Pavilion at Miami Children’s Hospital.
The partnership between the Live Like Bella™ Foundation and Miami Children’s Health Foundation was announced last December 2013, under the name of “Bella’s Promise” and is working towards ensuring that Miami Children’s continues to provide world-class care for children battling cancer in South Florida.
Miami Children’s Hospital is also in formal discussions with Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Florida to create and operate a Ronald McDonald House within the pavilion, which would be an amazing effort in South Florida.
For more information about the Live Like Bella™ Foundation please visit www.livelikebella.org.
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