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Bernadette's Journey
Hi, I am Bernadette Rozman Bellas, the co-owner of Bella’s Wishes Creative Arts Center and this is the story behind the business and my personal journey with cancer.
Bella's Wishes is a dream that has been years in the making. A decade ago, I left my corporate job and I bought the URL www.bellaswishes.com as I had planned to open an online store for creative items including ones that could be practical for people living in nursing homes and dormitories.
Those plans got delayed as I decided to open an education consulting business and extend my 20 year career helping for-profit colleges and universities with their regulatory issues. The JBB Education Partners consulting business was successful but after many life-changing events in the past five years, including my first diagnosis with cancer in 2019. I wanted to return to my ideas for something that would be more personally satisfying.
This time, I moved the concept from online sales to a creative arts business that would be in person, not online. The concept of Bella's Wishes is simple, at Bella's Wishes, you can buy local artisan goods, create your own one-of-a-kind art, and enjoy visiting with other people from the community in our art-inspired café.
The pandemic changed our communities in many ways and online shopping has changed the arts, as artists sell their work through many different websites and the purchasers do not get to interact with the artist. In fact, I am not sure that all the work sold on website is "hand made" as I have bought some pieces online which definitely look like mass-produced products. We want the community to get to know the people in the community, see their art, talk about the inspiration behind the pieces, and I hope to bring our community back together, in a safe, creative, and alcohol free environment.
In early 2024 I purchased the building that houses Bella's Wishes and shortly after, I was diagnosed with cancer for the third time. As of today, I am in treatment for Stage IV metastatic, recurrent endometrial cancer.
My cancer journey started in 2019 when routine gynecology tests showed abnormalities and I had my first cancer surgery. Following the surgery, I was cancer-free.
Eighteen months later, the cancer returned and I had surgery and additional post-surgical therapies were completed to remove any remaining cells. The combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation led to a second “cancer free” status.
I think that once you have cancer, there is always a feeling or fear that the cancer will return and although I am positive and optimistic, those thoughts do enter my mind because I am human.
In the spring of 2024, not long after starting on the Bella's Wishes dream and purchasing a building, my fears were realized as I heard the words no one wants to hear…you have cancer. And so, the treatments to give me more time began. The first phase of treatment was six rounds of chemotherapy and immunotherapy, which was completed September 12, 2024 and additional testing will determine the next steps of treatment.
Throughout my journey, my motto has remained the same: My Life is Beautiful
I believe it so much that I had it tattooed on my arm after the second cancer diagnosis, as a forever reminder that despite whatever is happening to me, inside of me, or around me, I choose to believe that my life is beautiful.
With this motto, I have created items for Bella’s Wishes to encourage those affected by cancer - for the survivors and those who are living with cancer, for those taking care of someone with cancer or mourning the loss of someone who had cancer. For each of you, know that cancer does not define you and your life is beautiful.
This cancer journey will be transformative, at the cellular level and the personal level. Allow the doctors to do what they can, understanding that a cure is not always an option, but healing is always an option.
Heal your mind, your soul, your heart, your relationships with friends and family, and most importantly, heal your your relationship with God…allow this process to beautifully transform your life into one of devotion, bravery, determination, strength, and healing, with or without a medical cure.
God Bless You!