Live Like Bella CEO Nicole de Lara Puente: Fighting Childhood Cancer in Miami + 5K this Weekend

What this episode is about

Nicole de Lara Puente, CEO of Live Like Bella, discusses her journey with the foundation that honors the legacy of Bella, a young girl who fought childhood cancer, and highlights their impactful community efforts in Miami, including an upcoming 5K event to support cancer awareness and research. She shares her personal and professional experiences that led her to this pivotal role, emphasizing the emotional connection to Bella's story and the foundation's mission.

Key takeaways

• Bella’s legacy isn't just a memory; it’s a lifeline for families battling cancer, transforming heartache into hope.
• In a world where health care costs soar, Live Like Bella bridges the gap—because financial distress shouldn't add to a family's pain.
• From kitchen counter to nation-wide impact, sometimes all it takes is a cup of coffee and an open heart.
• Every child’s health crisis challenges a family; Live Like Bella ensures they don’t face it financially crippled or alone.
• Who knew a hashtag could grow into a revolution? Bella’s story proves social media can spark real-world change.

Who speaks in this episode?

• Andre (Host) · 9 min speaking
• Nicole de Lara Puente (Guest) · 22 min speaking

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 5:00: Live Like Bella, Nadia Raymond, IGGY Nicole, Miami Cancer Institute
2. 5:00 – 10:00: Live Like Bella, Florida, Nadia Raymond, University of Florida
3. 10:00 – 15:00: Florida, Live Like Bella, Nadia Raymond, James and Esther King fund
4. 15:00 – 20:00: Nadia Raymond, Florida
5. 20:00 – 25:00: Live Like Bella, Nadia Raymond
6. 25:00 – 30:00: Live Like Bella, 5K, Tropical Park
7. 30:00 – 31:05: Live Like Bella, Cafeito, Tropical Park

Notable quotes from "Live Like Bella CEO Nicole de Lara Puente: Fighting Childhood Cancer in Miami + 5K this Weekend"

• So I joined live like Bella almost nine years ago this summer and I have to tell you personally and professionally it's one of the biggest privileges of my life. how I did how did I end up.

  about IGGY Nicole · at 0:50

• Honor when they named the pediatric proton cancer center at Miami Cancer Institute after Bella. If you walk into Miami Cancer Institute at Baptist, it says live like Bella. the…

  about Miami Cancer Institute · at 1:44

• I the basics which are still our let's call it bread and butter today is providing financial assistance to families while their children undergo treatment.

  about Live Like Bella · at 4:27

• See you know if there's ever any she went and she checked and she came back she's like the state of Florida has never done anything in childhood cancer.

  about Florida · at 6:02

• Jacksonville in the summer of 2021 that it was still coy in 2021 but you'll say yeah I was visiting the University of Florida their cancer center one of them is in Jacksonville…

  about University of Florida · at 9:25

• That study was featured on the cover of Nature Medicine, which is like I don't know if you're a fashion designer, you're on the cover of Vogue. it was one of the most major research.

  about Nature Medicine · at 11:24

• Different things. There was something called the bankad kohi fund, the James and Esther King fund. But none of those funds that existed similar to the live like Bella were eligible for pediatrics, right?

  about James and Esther King fund · at 14:41

• So, our Live Like Bella 5K is our superhero 5K. It's on Sunday, February 8th. It's Super Bowl Sunday, but don't worry, you don't miss the Super Bowl cuz in the morning it's early in the morning.

  about 5K · at 27:15

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• IGGY Nicole — Person · Main guest · 3 mentions · first at 0:10
  Nicole is interviewed as the CEO of Live Like Bella, explaining the organization’s growth, services (financial and memorial support), and major policy/research initiatives in Florida.
• Nadia Raymond — Person · Referenced prior guest / foundation leader (family member) · 10 mentions · first at 0:17
  Raymond is repeatedly referenced as a key figure who shared Bella’s story previously, helped start the foundation with Shauna, and collaborated with Nicole on legislation and strategy.
  Co. Today we're joined by Nicole, CEO of Live Like Bella, who we've had on the podcast before. We had Raymond on the podcast. A very emotional and impactful story. But today we…

Companies & orgs

• Live Like Bella — Company · Business focus · 17 mentions · first at 0:15
  Non-profit foundation focused on childhood cancer support and research, featured as the main topic of the podcast.
• Miami Cancer Institute — Company · Case study · 2 mentions · first at 1:18
  Medical institute where Live Like Bella has significant impact, including naming a pediatric cancer center.
• Baptist Health — Company · Affiliated organization · 2 mentions · first at 1:16
  Healthcare system that operates Miami Cancer Institute and collaborates with Live Like Bella.
  And I had left the television industry and was working for Baptist Health. when Baptist Health opened the Miami Cancer Institute, which was right around the time that Bella passed,.
• University of Florida — Company · Research partner · 3 mentions · first at 7:08
  University receiving funding from Live Like Bella for childhood cancer research.
• James and Esther King fund — Company · Funding source · 1 mention · first at 14:42
  State fund that was creatively used to support pediatric cancer research through Live Like Bella's efforts.

Concepts & topics

• Cafeito — Concept · Core topic · 4 mentions · first at 0:03
  Podcast name where the discussion about Live Like Bella takes place.
  As a matter of fact and Kendall and we were sitting having coffee and just talking as friends and we had started to work on some legislation which I can get into a little bit later but we had this.

Places & events

• 5K — Event · Event experience · 1 mention · first at 27:15
  Annual fundraising event organized by Live Like Bella to support children battling cancer.
• Florida — Place · Headquarters · 7 mentions · first at 6:05
  Primary location where Live Like Bella operates and where legislative efforts are focused.
• Tropical Park — Place · Setting · 2 mentions · first at 27:27
  Venue for the Live Like Bella 5K event.
  Worry, you don't miss the Super Bowl cuz in the morning it's early in the morning at 8:00. Yeah, it's at 8:00 on Sunday morning, February 8th at Tropical Park.

Media & podcasts

• Nature Medicine — Media · Referenced work · 1 mention · first at 11:24
  Prestigious journal that featured a study funded by Live Like Bella.

Full transcript with timestamps

0:03 Good morning, buenas diaz. Welcome back to another episode of Cafeito Iroetas brought to you by Straan Kilo and Hent Co. Today we're joined by Nicole, CEO of Live Like Bella, who we've had on the podcast before. We had Raymond on the podcast. A very emotional and and impactful story. But today we have Nicole here who's with us. And I just want to say thank you again for being here, all that you guys do and and being such a big part of the community.

0:30 Thank you, Andre. It's a privilege to be on here. So, thanks for having us. Absolutely. So, we had Raymond on a few months ago, and of course, he was able to give, you know, his story, obviously, the the legacy of Bella and what she left behind now with the foundation. So, I definitely want to, you know, touch on that, but also hear kind of your journey into getting involved with Live Like Bella. So I joined live like Bella almost nine years ago this summer and I have to tell you personally and professionally it's one of the biggest privileges of my life. Um how I did how did I end up here? I think it was Bella tapped me on the shoulder. There's nothing else I can tell you. The first half of my career I spent working uh in media. I worked for MTV. I worked for Sony Pictures. Not with anything that I'm doing now.

1:13 Um and I had left the television industry and was working for Baptist Health. Um, when Baptist Health opened the Miami Cancer Institute, which was right around the time that Bella passed, I had followed Bella's story forever. I'm sure Raymond told you. Um, it started with a hashtag. Everybody in this community was praying for her. If you don't know the story, it's because you didn't live here at the time,

1:36 right? Pretty much. Yeah. And um, and I followed her story forever. And I met Raymond and Shauna who had um started the foundation in her honor when they named the pediatric proton um cancer center at Miami Cancer Institute after Bella. If you walk into Miami Cancer Institute at Baptist, it says live like Bella. Um the family fought really hard to bring a proton machine for children um in Miami. So we met um and long story longer, like my friend says,

2:06 uh we had a conversation over Cafeito. as a matter of fact and Kendall and uh we were sitting having coffee and just talking as friends

2:14 and we had started to work on some legislation which I can get into a little bit later but we had this conversation and I said okay Raymond what's next for live like Bella and he's like look you know we're at the kitchen counter I have a job Shauna has a job um we do this as volunteers but I I don't know where to go from here and I said to him I said we should think about working together but I kind of meant like what can can I do to help?

2:38 Of course. And you know, two weeks later, I was sitting in front of the board of directors and um they offered me this opportunity cuz I don't know, Bella just started talking to me.

2:48 So, I left and came on to go work in the garage. Um which everybody told me I was crazy, but Bella didn't,

2:55 right? And uh and I took this opportunity to get involved at a time that was a big crossroads for live like Bella of, you know, keep it in the kitchen counter and do what we're doing or move it forward. And that's what children battling cancer needed. So I took the the opportunity and you know at that point we were a team of three and now we're 10 uh and serving families uh across the entire nation and in 38 countries. So wow

3:18 I ended up here the answer to your simple question is cuz Bella tapped me on the shoulder.

3:22 Yeah. And I remember it's crazy that you said that right because I remember when Ray came on it was always like

3:28 Bella was in everybody's life right and she would come in and and you would feel her right. And I remember even like the day that I recorded with with Ry, like I could I could feel her like I'm like she is here in the room. She is with us and she's like I'm glad we've gotten to to this point, right? Because it was Bella's legacy, right? Um and then like for you to say that now, it's kind of like wow. Like this is the actual legacy and impact that Bella is leaving on an everyday basis by bringing in people like yourself, right? because like you said it was a crossroad that the organization was at and there were so many I guess challenges of what they went through right and they were like how do we fix some of these problems right so that other families that are going through something similar don't have to fix that so if you can kind of touch on what were some of those challenges that Rey and the family and

4:19 Bella were kind of facing through that process that inspired uh live like Bella to become the foundation that it is today

4:27 I the basics which are still our let's call it bread and butter today is providing financial assistance to families while their children undergo treatment.

4:36 Okay, I know Raymond mentioned and I say this all the time. When a child is sick and we see this every day,

4:41 one of the parents has to stop working. Um and that's if they're two. If not, you can end up uh in a situation that families like you and I that have had everything we need, we can't pay our rent or we're having a hard time checking out at Publix.

4:53 Um and there really not a lot of resources. there isn't a comprehensive place. There's different foundation across the world that do work. Um but it was very hard for families to be able to pay their very basic bills. So live like Bella to this day I would say has three lines of service. The primary one being the basics of providing financial assistance.

5:13 The other one which I know Raymond mentioned which is very sad but from my perspective very privileged is to be with a family if their child were to pass away. there. Uh it may be the saddest thing that we do, but from my perspective, one of the most privileged to be with a family um especially when it's been a family we've been taking care of for a long time. So there's the financial assistance, there is the in treatment support, I mean the the memorial support, and then the research, which I want to talk to you a little bit about. Yes.

5:41 Um which that at that time there was nothing. I remember in that cafeito conversation in Laoreta. Yeah. Um Raymond and I had talked to a mutual friend a couple of months before who had been in the legislature for like 16 years and we asked her we said what has ever been done in childhood cancer. She was man I've been here a long time and I don't know I got to go back and look and see you know if there's ever any she went and she checked and she came back she's like the state of Florida has never done anything in childhood cancer.

6:09 Wow. And at the time I'm like I don't I don't understand. Right. because you're like, "Okay, if somebody told you, Andre, what do you mean that people don't care about kids with cancer?" It's not that they don't care. It's just that the funding had never been allocated. So, together, we created something called the Live Like Bella Pediatric Cancer Research Initiative. It's a partnership between the Florida legislature and the Department of Health and Live Like Bella that it's a grant program that essentially takes several million dollars in recurring funds a year that applicants or researchers in Florida, regardless of whether they're part of a major cancer center or whether they're part of a university are eligible for funding

6:47 to do childhood cancer research. Um right now a lot of even in the state right if you weren't what they call um an an NCI center like there's four major NCI centers in the state that do incredible work but this fund was particularly important because the NCI centers get regular funding and some of the other ones don't. You're an FSU alum. FSU was never eligible to apply for funds to something like that. Even here in Miami and FIU, there was right now since it's since it began, there are 75 studies being funded at 11 different institutions across the state

7:22 and so many of which we can be proud of that are happening right here in our community.

7:27 Absolutely. Um, so there's you can't get me started on that cuz this podcast is, you know, it's not long enough.

7:32 No, no, absolutely. But I mean, I think you bring up like the most important part about all this, right? Like one of your initial meetings that there was no assistance, right? There was no research. There was no funding behind something like this. And now I'm sure as you look back, you know, looking forward from that meeting to today, it's like, holy cow, look how much we've been able to accomplish, right? And and being that pioneer um and being that impact for so many different families, I mean, I can only imagine that just by starting these initiatives and having the universities involved in research and having, you know, kind of this funding now in place, like how many lives have actually been touched because of this? Look, I'll share a story with you that happened to ha to happen here in the community. And I'll do my best not to to get emotional.

8:17 In full disclosure, when I started this, remember I told you I had worked in television. I didn't know anything about about the healthcare profession, nothing about childhood cancer. Um, one of the few families that had never been directly affected by cancer. So, this was really something that I got into. I had no idea what I was doing. I'm not going to lie to you, Andre. This has been a pulmon right the pu pora looking for these funding and building relationships with all of these different institutions and I went to visit several labs across the state that had received funding from the live like Bella initiative you had brilliant people doing research across the state many of which though if you're not a clinician if you don't see patients not all researchers are doctors and not all doctors are researchers right they all have a PhD but they don't do the same thing

9:02 so you have researchers that are working in in a lab that perhaps have never met a child with cancer. And it was a resounding no. Every time I asked, hey, has anybody in this room ever met a child with cancer? Nope. Never met a child with cancer. I'm like, man, there's a disconnect here because I think it's important for families to have access to researchers and vice versa. So Bento that happened in Jacksonville uh in the summer of 2021 that it was still coy in 2021 but you'll say yeah I was visiting the University of Florida their cancer center one of them is in Jacksonville and I met with one of the researchers who had been one of the originals to receive funding and as we were leaving um I had been you know had toured the lab and he walks me out to the lobby. He goes, "Man, it was so nice to meet you. wouldn't it be cool if we got all of the researchers that so far have gotten funding in one room? And

9:55 I was like, "Yeah, we're actually we're going to do it at our first annual research symposium in Miami in September." This was like July. Okay, maybe it was June. Um, but we're that summer. And I'm like, "We're having our research symposium in September." He's like, "I'll be there. Count on it." And I was like, "Awesome." And I walked out into the parking lot and I called Raymond. I go, "Oh, I just invented a research symposium, right?

10:16 What happened? What is that?" So, I had no idea what we were doing. Um, and I did it the day before Bella's ball that really the team at that point, I thought they were going to quit. Uh, anyway, how did we structure? We're in year six now. We have huge, tremendous partners to help us do it because it's expensive and complicated logistically. Um, but one of the big things when we built this symposium was to give access to families to attend. You talked the same way I was talking to researchers that had never met a family. You were talking to families that didn't know anything about research,

10:46 right? So in one of the symposiums about three years in a researcher that's become a dear friend Dr. Diana is um she's at Florida International University. She has she's doing a study actively doing a study that I'll do a poor job at explaining, but basically it takes patients who are relapsed,

11:05 takes a tissue sample of that patient, takes it to Nicholas Children's Hospital, sends it back to the lab, they run a test on it with already approved FDA drugs and see what hits, right? Right? So like if a child was under X protocol, we say, "Okay, that protocol didn't work." And now drug A plus B plus Q works and they give it to the patient.

11:24 Wow. That study was featured on the cover of Nature Nature Medicine, which is like I don't know if you're a fashion designer, you're on the cover of Vogue. I mean, it was one of the most major research studies.

11:34 What happened? We're at the research symposium. Diana, the researcher, is presenting. And there's a mom in the room who had been there all morning. And during lunch there was a poster session which imagine like a science fair.

11:46 Okay. So there's a poster talking about the study and a mom is looking at it and she's like my son is patient number 13. And look what I told you. I'll try it again. So the researcher standing there, you have a mom there. Her son was very very sick. He had relapsed. They had told her there are no more options for him. His name is Logan. He's playing soccer. Logan is a super cool kid. He has a brother and a sister and this is a child that had there not been somebody fighting a pulmon um to make sure that this can happen especially I say it very proudly here in this community um Logan might not be with us and stories like Logan's there are dozens right

12:28 so I share that story with you can talk about research and research is complicated you and I like you don't know much about research you're not you're not a physician right but when you talk about this and you humanize it you know both of those women were in tears

12:40 the researcher was in tears the mother was in tears oh my god um because you're sharing a story, you know. I I'll send you stuff if anybody wants to see it to to meet Logan. But

12:48 but anyway, that's why we do what we do and it's it's complicated to talk about research, but you don't have to even talk about people,

12:53 right? Yeah. And but I I think that's the gist of it, right? You may not have to know everything, you know, from the outside about exactly what's going on behind the scenes in this research, but that's the perfect case study that without the research, right, and without the testing and learning and having a budget to be able to execute this, right? Because like anything, it's it's going to cost money. But if you have the the backing and the support to do something like that, you're going to find solutions like this. And to your point, if if that trial doesn't even happen, who's to say that it doesn't save Logan's life, it doesn't save God knows how many other people's lives, right? So, I I think

13:26 more than anything, I think this is like you would hope a a recipe for success for other organizations to follow, right? I know we were talking kind of like offline uh before, but one of the biggest thing was like pushing the legislation, getting the state of Florida um you know to be an advocate for this. So, if you could just kind of talk about that process as well of like how it was like I want to say like going to battle with the state, but like convincing the state and finding solutions to work with the state that maybe other states can kind of follow um to replicate what you guys have done.

13:59 Look, to be honest, I think you don't always have to be the smartest person in the room. You have to be the most resourceful,

14:05 right? And anything you want to get done, you have to have a champion if you're not in that space because you could have access to money, to contacts, but if you don't have somebody that's willing to go up to bat for you

14:16 and we had a friend that was working in the legislature who just cared and knew how to find funding that it's very difficult to get funding when there's a taxpayer burden. taxpayers want to pay more taxes, even if it's help kids with cancer. Right.

14:30 Right. None of us do. Yeah. Um so it's hard to to find it. So the state was very creative and pulled funding from cigarette tax dollars. The state has to use that money for different things. There was something called the bankad kohi fund, the James and Esther King fund. But none of those funds that existed similar to the live like Bella were eligible for pediatrics, right?

14:49 Pediatric researchers were like looking for scraps everywhere and there was no scraps to be found. So, it was a very creative way to say, okay, where do the funds live and how do we use them for a good purpose? In Florida, we did it with cigarette taxes, but you can do that with any other money somewhere else. Right.

15:04 Right. Different. I can't pretend to know about different legislators, but there's always something somewhere. Exactly.

15:08 Every year. And right now, Florida's in the middle of the legislative session. We just started a few weeks ago. And every year you hear the same story from every single state. This year is going to be the worst year. There's no budget. Nobody gets along. And I'm like, dude, this is the same story every story forever. But there is there is a glimmer of hope if you have somebody that really cares that's like you know what we have to get something done. And if you have somebody with influence um and with knowledge of how to I don't want to say work the system but who knows how to find it. It's there. It's just you know I've spoken I spoke at a conference at Texas Children's Hospital last year. Um and there was a lot of different folks in the audience from different organizations one of which is based in DC. And they were like shocked.

15:50 They were like how did you get this done? I'm like, man, Apulong the same way cuz the research sympos we we fought for it and we and we got it done. And I think, you know, you mentioned when you spoke with Raymond, we have the opportunity here to serve as an example.

16:03 Exactly. Um to serve as an example to other states in terms of advocacy. I'm the first one to get on a plane, tell me where do you go, who do you need to talk to, I'll help you. And Raymond said it too. He's like, I don't care what you call it. It doesn't have to be called the live anything. Call it whatever you want. Um but we owe these kids. I think you know one day my sister lives in North Carolina and I was flying back and I was sitting at the gate

16:24 and the flight was late and there was a guy talking next to me just Orlando and he says to me he goes oh what do you do and I said oh I you know run a childhood cancer foundation in Miami

16:35 and he says to me did you lose a child to cancer or something and I go no thank god I have two healthy girls and he's like oh okay nice to meet you so I get on the plane I put my bag in the overhead bin I sit down and I'm Like, you know what, man? The next time somebody asks me if I like lost a child to cancer, I'm going to say I did and so did you because Bella wasn't my daughter, but we all lost a child to cancer.

16:57 And when we start thinking about it that way, you know, and some people will tell you like, oh, you know, that not that many children die of cancer. Let's talk about years of life lost. And again, Bella wasn't your daughter and she wasn't mine, but we lost her. And every day, 43 parents hear the words, "Your child has cancer."

17:15 Yeah. And it's on us to make sure that that changes. Oh, absolutely. I think you worded it perfectly, right? Like it may not be your child, but at the end of the day, it is directly maybe affecting someone close to you, right? A friend, another family member, right? Someone that you know, it may not be you, but someone that you know probably has been affected by it, right? And I think that is already too close. Look, there's a good quote that I'll I'll butcher probably a little bit, but it says, "Justice has not been served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are."

17:50 And I know you have a cousin who battled cancer. I did. Um, all of us know somebody who has battled cancer. Um, and and even if you haven't been impacted, we should be as outraged as those who have.

18:02 Absolutely. And I mean I don't know you know fully the extent of you know her process. I do know that it was a very aggressive chemo process. She had stage four non non-hopkins lymphoma. I think they had given her like a 20% chance. Like I mean it was it was it was dark. It was bleak. Like it did not look good. Um but I remember she lives in Tennessee and they found good doctor here in Tampa. I forget the name of the doctor now but apparently was one of the best especially here in Florida. we have on her side of the family, she has some cousins that live down there. So, logistically, it also worked for her to, you know, have a home and and family around because to your point, right, like it's not that easy to just like uplift your life, right? Like my uncle had a job, has his job, like he can't just say, "I'm going to move to Tampa cuz he's got to pay the bills for, you know, the hospital bill, his everyday

18:52 living, you know, all these things that go into just like everyday life." Um, and then all of a sudden this is thrown at you.

18:59 So, it was it was tough like how how do they make this work? And you know, knock on wood, here we are a couple years later and

19:06 she's she's amazing. You know, she's a she's a teacher. She just finished her masters.

19:10 Oh, that's awesome. Um, you know, all these amazing things that, you know, she's doing and, you know, I think and I'm actually curious to ask you this question, right?

19:18 Um, she wasn't necessarily maybe a child. She, you know, in college, right? So, obviously still young, right? So, uh, I guess adolescent, you know, older older child, but the kind of the post-t trauma that comes from from cancer. What what's kind of like I guess some of the thoughts and reactions you've seen from some of the people that you guys have interacted with when it comes to that?

19:38 That's actually a great question. Um, and actually at the research symposium, we always have a session about survivorship.

19:45 Um, we have a a board member who's also a Columbus alum that he battled cancer when he was in high school. Um, and today he's, I don't know, probably turning 49 or 50 this year and he still struggles thinking about what he went through. A lot of survivors have something that's referred to as survivor guilt. You know, a lot of these kids as they get older, you know, if they had a friend that passed away, like, why did I get to live and my friend didn't get to live? Um, there are lots of of issues, psychosocial issues, physical issues, you know, we've met. There's an incredible pediatric gynecologist at the University of Miami that I didn't even know there was a subsp specialty. And I was like, why does why does that happen?

20:24 Why do they work with kids with cancer? Young women who are undergoing cancer treatment, their reproductive organs can be affected by the treatment,

20:30 of course. And you're already asking questions of like, will they ever be able to have children?

20:34 So, I I think, you know, and I was showing you earlier my my jacket. I'll show you later. There's a bunch of of of pictures of kids who are survivors and they and they still deal with it. You know, they still deal with it. Um there's a couple of different programs around the state but there's a lot of disconnect I think around the country. Um there's a program called passport for care. But what happens is in terms of resources um if you receive treatment even if you were in college right if like you may not remember the medications you were on the doctors you saw because in theory you know an adult would have taken care of it and how do you go back later to talk to your doctors? Where are those records kept?

21:10 How do you So there's a big disconnect. Um, and to address that, I think Raymond also mentioned we received another grant from the state last year different than than the existing research grant because that goes to

21:23 other organizations. This one came to live like Bella to create something called the CCCN, the comprehensive childhood cancer network. And that is a network that the core of it is to connect researchers with patients and vice versa. You have some researchers that are like, man, we have the money, but we can't find the patients. Got it. or patients that say nobody's ever offered us a clinical trial.

21:45 So that was the core of it. But one of the very important things as we're building it now as we speak is to have a survivorship component. So people like your aunt, she's, you know, a young adult, let's call it, right? Um and she's she's going through places like where do you go? You know, I'm sure I'm sure if you talk to her and you ask her like, "What are the challenges that you live with?" Um we're working on on making resources available for families. Amazing cuz I mean, you know, now I'm seeing it on like on the other side and I could see the, you know, the effect, right? Yeah. And I think she's obviously done a good job of honing in herself and taking care of what she needs to take care of like, you know, doing a masters and, you know, doing all these things to get over that hurdle, right? But, you know, I think there's like you mentioned kind of like that guilt, right? she I've definitely seen that um kind of the the

22:33 fear like is this going to come back right and like how do you deal with that? So I think there's like a lot of like this mental component that that you need you need to go through a a version of like now a different type of healing, right?

22:46 Um and I think that in itself is extremely difficult. I think it's important to find uh a network a circle of folks of somebody that lived it.

22:56 Um I think there's a lot of loneliness uh you know she could talk to me and I can't really exactly you know and that's the hard that to me is the hardest part too like being on the other side of it. It's like I want to help you and I could give you advice and give you that, but like who am I? Who am I to say you should be doing this when I've never been in that situation?

23:13 It's hard. And we I think we try to do a good job of connecting people because there's like awesome support groups. So sometimes we don't want to go to support groups cuz they're sad or sometimes you need a network whether it be um for the kids themselves or for the parents or for survivors, somebody who gets it. Yeah.

23:28 Um and we don't always get it. I mean, we see it every day and I can tell you, hey, Andre, we see that all the time. I get it. But I don't get it. I haven't lived it. You know, Raymond has had that experience as a father.

23:38 Um I have only lived that, you know, from the privilege of the sidelines to see how we can be there. But I definitely think that survivorship is an issue that we're working to address uh not just with kids, but with young adults. And and I'm telling you, I don't think it's something

23:51 I mean, I can't speak to it myself, but I don't think I've ever spoken to somebody even as a a grownup that battled cancer doesn't think about it every day.

23:58 Yeah. No, I can I can only imagine. But no, that's great that there are initiatives and, you know, honestly, I was just curious from more of like the personal experience side and just seeing it. But as always, you guys are doing, you know, amazing work. The research, all the initiatives that you guys have in place, I think is only the starting point with all of this. So, I guess that takes me to to my next question. What is next for Live Like Bella? What are, you know, obviously outside of continuing to do what you guys do, but what's kind of like the next vision for Live Like Bella? When somebody asks me sort of what my vision is, um, I always say it is for Live Like Bella to be the subject matter expert on childhood cancer. What do I mean by that? If you're a parent that needs resources, we can help with financial assistance. If you are someone who is doing a podcast and you want to talk about cancer, who you call it

24:49 Bella. If you're a journalist for a major news network and you're running a story on childhood cancer awareness month, if you are the governor of the state of Texas and you want to talk about, hey, who's doing this? Well, I think it's important for us to build a credibility and reputation of an organization that is the go-to place for anybody living with childhood cancer. Um, going back to what's in the in the near future is the building of the CCCN, the comprehensive childhood cancer network. It brings together. We were we were doing that anyway, but we had never formalized it, right? When we sat down and we saw that we might have an opportunity to receive a grant, yet another time, I had no idea what I was doing. I can't lie to you here.

25:28 Um, but opportunities come and I just open my heart. Well, any anytime like a young person asked me like, "Oh, how do I, you know, what should I do for my career?" I'm like, "Dude, just open your heart because you don't know."

25:38 Um, so we we were doing a very good job at connecting people because we're not healthc care providers, but we're very good connectors. Um, and this network that we're building now will do that. So, I think the future of Live Like Bella will be to continue providing assistance, which is what we do, right? Um, but to increase collaboration um, and access. So, I I would say that that's the biggest project we have on the radar right now.

26:01 That's amazing. And then one last question, what does it mean to live like Bella?

26:05 Oh man, there's there's several ways to live like Bella. I can tell you my favorite um, which is to show compassion. Um I I have a a poster on the wall in my office that says show compassion because the the hashtag live like Bella side note the way that it started um Bella was receiving Bella had a major surgery at MD Anderson in Houston. Um the surgery was like 18 hours and while she was in recovery I wasn't at live like Bella at this time right

26:33 um her mom posted on Facebook like it's a beautiful day in in Houston and Bella's in a coma. Please pray for her and do things today that she would love. Wear red, sing a song, take a bubble bath, eat s'mores. There was a whole list of stuff she liked to do. And one of them was to show compassion. And and if you ask me what it means to live like Bella, there are so many ways, but I think showing compassion is something that we can all do more of.

26:58 Absolutely. Um so that for me is what it means to live like Bella. That's amazing. Well, I know we have a 5K coming up, right? And that's a big thing for you guys. is great for awareness, great for fundraising. So, talk to us a little bit about the upcoming Live Like Bella 5K.

27:15 So, our Live Like Bella 5K is our superhero 5K. It's on Sunday, February 8th. It's Super Bowl Sunday, but don't worry, you don't miss the Super Bowl cuz in the morning it's early in the morning at 8:00. Yeah, it's at 8:00 uh on Sunday morning, February 8th at Tropical Park. Um and it brings together gosh, almost 2,000 people who come to to run or walk. It's not like the Miami Marathon. can chew. There's been people that walk with like a wagon with your kids. It's not you don't have to be intimidated by the by the by the runner walk, but it's impressive. We call it the superhero 5K because really these kids are superheroes. So, it's the theme and you will see kids who have battled cancer or are currently battling cancer who are there. It's an emotional experience. I can imagine.

27:55 It's beautiful. Um, we have a huge party afterwards with a beer garden. I didn't know people drank beer after five kids, but they drink it. It's like a whole thing. It is a thing. I think we have part it's part of the party. It's a whole experience. So, there's like seven breweries there that are going to be there. Um, there's music, there's vendors. It's a it's a really special event, I think. Um, it gives us a chance to to do something cool together. And I know in Miami there's something every weekend. Yes. There's a gala, there's a 5K, there's an arts festival, especially during this time of year. Yeah.

28:21 But, um, this is one of the the opportunities that you can take a couple of hours and bring your family and run or walk and and support children battling cancer and have a really good time.

28:29 Absolutely. No, I I've been to a few 5Ks in my in my time and and they're always a great time and it's always great that you could do something like that to support obviously a good cause, right? How long has the 5K been around?

28:43 Since before my time, I live like I think. Oh, wow. So, it's one of one of the earlier initiatives.

28:47 I lose count because of COVID, but one of the years of co we did it anyway and we did a virtual 5K.

28:52 Um, which actually was awesome. It was awesome. It it was like we didn't you had to run one on your own.

28:57 Oh, okay. Gotcha. you know, like we still did the medals and the shirts and we did it, but like you did it, you know, even if you weren't there, you did it sort of in solidarity, which by the way, if you can't go that day, you can still run virtually and in solidarity when you go online to register. Um, if you're like, "No, I can't go because my son has soccer practice or whatever it is." Um, there's an opportunity to reg. Yeah. It's called, they also call it the sleepin option.

29:19 Okay. But you better be in town if you're if you go. No, no, that's the thing. I'm not going to be in town.

29:23 Okay. No, then you're a virtual participant. I'm going to do a virtual participant.

29:26 Yeah. And then we're in San Frern at the at the Super Bowl. You see? Okay. So, you're going to the Super Bowl. All right. Good excuse. Good. It's a good way. It's a You don't have to do it at the right time cuz with the time difference.

29:36 Exactly. I have a little bit of leeway cuz I'm 3 hours behind. I'm going to send you the shirt beforehand. I want a picture.

29:41 Do it. I will do it. Picture of you there. Absolutely. No, but it's a lot of fun.

29:44 That's awesome. No. Well, I'm excited. For anyone that's listening, February 8th right?

29:49 It's Sunday, February 8th. And Yes. Hold on. Back it up. We're doing a coupon. I don't like to call it, but I call it a code. Yes.

29:55 Um that all of the listeners of this podcast if you write the word tranquilo when you go register you register at live likebella 5k.org livebella 5k.org and when you go on there to check out it'll give you the opportunity to add a code. So put tranquilo and then people will know and I'll go back and tell you how many people register awesome go register. It's going to be an amazing event for an amazing cause.

30:17 It's an opportunity to embrace the live like Bella lifestyle right like she mentioned compassion um and so many other things that that Bella represented it. So it'll be an amazing time whether you can go right or not you still have the option so there's no excuse but we if you're in Miami February 8th be there and it'll be a great time travel absolutely

30:36 but no thank you so much for being here as always again thank you so much for everything that you guys do everything that you guys represent um and whenever we want to do this again it's always here so

30:45 awesome thank you so much you guys awesome thank you thank you guys as always for tuning in make sure to enjoy your cafeito enjoy your groatas and this time also join the 5K February 8th at Tropical Park. See you soon.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "Live Like Bella CEO Nicole de Lara Puente: Fighting Childhood Cancer in Miami + 5K this Weekend"?

Andre (Host), Nicole de Lara Puente (Guest).

What is "Live Like Bella CEO Nicole de Lara Puente: Fighting Childhood Cancer in Miami + 5K this Weekend" about?

Nicole de Lara Puente, CEO of Live Like Bella, discusses her journey with the foundation that honors the legacy of Bella, a young girl who fought childhood cancer, and highlights their impactful community efforts in Miami, including an upcoming 5K event to support cancer awareness and research. She shares her personal and professional experiences that led her to this pivotal role, emphasizing…

What is mentioned in this Stay Tranquilo episode?

12 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Live Like Bella, IGGY Nicole, Nadia Raymond, 5K, Miami Cancer Institute, Florida. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Live Like Bella CEO Nicole de Lara Puente: Fighting Childhood Cancer in Miami + 5K this Weekend"?

The episode runs 31 min; the transcript is about 6,926 words in 100 timestamped sections.

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