OUR STORY

How Bella's Footprints Began

Two months after Bella passed away, I was shopping with my son in the toy section of a local department store. I turned around and directly behind me was an entire shelf, stocked top to bottom with the batteries branded by the department store.

When I took a closer look and noticed the button batteries were displayed from the bottom of the shelf to an adult’s waist height. Well and truly in reach of a young child. 

The button batteries were also being sold in multi packs of 10. They had a very small warnings on the back of the packet and the backing of the package was perforated, making the batteries easy to pop out. 

That’s when I realised how wrong the promotion and place of these products really was. Consumers were being sent the wrong message about button batteries. They were not being warned about how dangerous button batteries really are. And retailers are not displaying button batteries out of reach of children, despite the packaging warning the consumer to keep out of reach of children.

As a result of this, I contacted the department store and shared Bella’s story with them. Within 24 hours I had the managing director of the Australian operations contact me.

After hearing Bella's story, they apologised for the placement of the batteries and admitted they were unaware of the dangers of button batteries. The retail chain immediately put a voluntary code in place across all Australian stores across to raise the display height of button batteries. 

I was completely blown away, that just by sharing Bella’s story I was able to educate and highlight the dangers of button batteries and start to make a difference. It is after this, Bella’s footprints -button battery awareness was created.

Our aim is to highlight and educate consumers, retailers and manufacturers, the dangers of button batteries.

What’s in a name? 

After losing Bella in 2015 to Button Battery Ingestion, we came across a poem that resonated with our family and friends. 

The poem read, ‘Her tiny hands stole our hearts, and her little feet ran away with them.’ 

And Bella did just that! She stole our hearts, she ran away with them and in doing so she left forever lasting footprints on our lives. Every time we share Bella’s story, people are changed forever. Bella leaves her footprints on their life making them aware of the dangers of button batteries.

Hence the name ‘Bella’s Footprints.

Our logo 

The logo is an image of a butterfly made from Bella’s actually footprints. The butterfly represents ‘Bella’ our little messenger from heaven.

Her footprints symbolise the imprint she continues to leave on people’s lives, making everyone aware of the dangers of button batteries.

What has Bella’s footprints achieved?

 ·      Launched facebook awareness page in 2015 to raise raising awareness and educate others about the dangers of button batteries.

·       Supported various ‘Choice’ campaigns such as ‘lock is down' and 'product safety standards'.

·       Met with various MP’s and campaigned in Canberra for product safety laws for button batteries.

·       Wrote to the ACCC outlining concerns regarding manufacturing and retailers Button Battery’s. A few months later the button battery working group was formed resulting in the ACCC introducing the voluntary button battery code (2016).

·      Contributed and provided feedback to the ACCC’s button battery working group.

·       Contributed to the 2019 ACCC button battery issue paper which later formed the Australian button battery safety standards introduced in June 2022.

·       Working to building strong relationships with Kidsafe, Choice and other button battery advocates to make significant changes nationally across Australia

.·       Targeted approaches made to retailers to change their battery displays to be out of reach of children.

·        Targeted approaches made to various manufactures to change their product design.

·      Update consumers on all button battery product recalls.