"Live Like Bella Way" Is Now A SW Miami-Dade Street
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A young girl who bravely battled cancer for six years and became an inspiration across South Florida was honored Monday with a street naming in her honor.
Southwest 107th Avenue from 120th Street to 136 Street was re-named "Live Like Bella Way."
The resolution to rename the street was passed to honor the life and memory of Bella Rodriguez-Torres who died in May at age 10.
A police motorcade and helicopter flyover began the ceremony. Bella held an honorary police badge and had many supporters among the law enforcement community.
"Bella means hope, Bella means love, Bella is a way that we should all live and when I say that I mean no matter how bad you have it there's always someone who has it worse and we're here to help others," said Miami Police Sgt. Javier Ortiz, who was Bella's "partner."
A little girl with a big grin, Bella won the heart of everyone who met her as she battled cancer.
"Bella battled cancer for 6 years and she battled with extraordinary courage and exemplary faith," explained her dad, Raymond Rodriguez-Torres.
Bella's mom, Shannah, coined the phrase "Live Like Bella" urging others to find joy in life's ordinary moments, to sing, to pray and to laugh even through struggles.
The phrase caught on and became a movement. Lebron James and Dwyane Wade even scrawled it on their shoes during the Eastern Conference Finals earlier in the year.
Now, the phrase permanently marks the street spreading Bella's message of hope and joy to everyone who passes by.
"I want them to see the sign and say you know what let me take a deep breath and enjoy this moment let me enjoy the ride down this road," said Shannah Rodriguez-Torres, Bella's mom.
"Let me be thankful for my health and this moment because that's all we have we're not guaranteed an hour from now we're not guaranteed tomorrow; I want them to look at that and say that's right 'Live Like Bella' is the way," she added.
"I think it's special and it's my sister and I'm really happy they're going to name it after her," said Bella's little sister Rayna Rodriguez-Torres.
Since Bella's death, her family has started a foundation to fight childhood cancer.
