'Only way to live with it:' Father turns tragedy into hope
AFTER losing his four-week old daughter Bella in 2017, Billy Drury knew it wasn't the end of her story.
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"SMALL but mighty" is how Toowoomba man Billy Drury remembers his baby daughter Bella.
Born eight weeks premature in March 2017, Bella was strengthening into a healthy, happy baby when she passed from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Thanks to the love of her family, her story is far from over.
"Those four weeks were the best of my life - I remember hearing so often from family and staff that 'there's something so special about Bella,'" Mr Drury said.
"I never got the answers as to why (it happened) - the feeling was unexplainable.
"I always knew she had so much left to do, even after her passing, to help save other little lives."
Mr Drury is preparing to host the first "Something about Bella" fundraising event this Saturday - what would have been her second birthday.
All funds raised at the family day will be donated to the Toowoomba Hospital Foundation for the purchase of a Diaphanoscope, which allows staff to search for blood vessels in premature babies.
"As her legacy, she will have a community birthday party every year and we will raise money to buy the equipment needed by the special care nursery," he said.
"That is the only way for me to take a positive out of a negative situation - it's the only way to be able to live with it."
Mr Drury also thanked the doctors and staff of the Toowoomba Hospital Special Care Nursery for helping enrich the time he had with Bella.
"The staff were extremely caring and nurturing group of people," he said.
"I can't speak highly enough of them, they treated our daughter like their own."
The Something about Bella event will be held at Clewley Park from 10am-2pm this Saturday. There will be a barbecue, car show and live entertainment for families.
Originally published as 'Only way to live with it:' Father turns tragedy into hope
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