We recently connected with Teresa Pope and have shared our conversation below.

Teresa , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I came up with my business Bellas Butterflies because I wanted to turn my pain into a purpose. Bellas Butterflies is founded on the loss of my daughter Isabella Jeanie Odom whom passed away Jan 1st 2023 from SIDS. She lived for 2 months and 15 days, coming a month early from her due date causing her to be in the NICU for almost 2 weeks. That showed me my daughters was a fighter and in her loss I wanted to keep fighting. Bellas Butterflies is a non profit 501c-3 dedicated to preventing, educating and eradicating Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in the communities. I struggled trying to get things up and running scared to tell my story because of what people think and say, but then in her loss I was able to help other young mothers in need whether it was baby milk, baby clothes, and or even just telling my story and it had brought me so much joy knowing my daughter could still be a blessing to others. Instantly I knew then it was time to move forward with my org. I do pod casts talking about grief and the stages of it telling my truth letting people know it’s not easy and it’s an everyday battle. Being vulnerable and letting people see me at what I feel like is my lowest but knowing that ” I can and will survive”. I do comfort pillows for those who have also experienced loss of a child, while also giving support services to those who need it even if it’s just them needing someone to talk to but also being that person for someone that I wish I had while going through my grieving process.

Teresa , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Teresa Pope I am 23 years and I’ve served in the army for 6 years just recenlt got out in June, after the loss of my daughter it became a bit much. I came up with my business Bellas Butterflies because I wanted to turn my pain into a purpose. Bellas Butterflies is founded on the loss of my daughter Isabella Jeanie Odom whom passed away Jan 1st 2023 from SIDS. She lived for 2 months and 15 days, coming a month early from her due date causing her to be in the NICU for almost 2 weeks. That showed me my daughters was a fighter and in her loss I wanted to keep fighting. Bellas Butterflies is a non profit 501c-3 dedicated to preventing, educating and eradicating Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in the communities. I struggled trying to get things up and running scared to tell my story because of what people think and say, but then in her loss I was able to help other young mothers in need whether it was baby milk, baby clothes, and or even just telling my story and it had brought me so much joy knowing my daughter could still be a blessing to others. Instantly I knew then it was time to move forward with my org. I do pod casts talking about grief and the stages of it telling my truth letting people know it’s not easy and it’s an everyday battle. Being vulnerable and letting people see me at what I feel like is my lowest but knowing that ” I can and will survive”. I do comfort pillows for those who have also experienced loss of a child, while also giving support services to those who need it even if it’s just them needing someone to talk to but also being that person for someone that I wish I had while going through my grieving process.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

The lost of my daughter was the hardest, not to long after that I lost my job and became depressed, even lost my place because they wouldn’t let me renew my lease. Feeling like I was not good enough for anything, but then turning everything around to say that this is all apart of God’s plan believing that God has a bigger purpose for me. Even though this situation could have destroyed me I’m still choosing to live and believe that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Honestly, everything has came out of pocket my family pulled together and we made it happen, also doing raffles to raise extra money but for the most part everything is coming out of pocket. I do work now for a solar company.

Contact Info:

• Website: bellasbutterflies.com
• Instagram: bellasbutterfliesinc
• Facebook: bellasbutterfliesinc
• Twitter: bellasbutterfliesinc
• Youtube: bellasbutterfliesinc
• Other: tik tok: bellasbutterfliesinc

Image Credits
Teresa Pope