Nicolette Domenica Bellos
In Memoriam of Nicolette Domenica Bellos: 1991-2011
Former MYSO Violinist Nicolette Bellos’ (1991-2011) story is one of perseverance, strength, courage and faith that inspired many lives. Nicolette became a member of MYSO in her freshman year of high school in 2005. In 2006 she became seriously ill requiring numerous blood transfusions and then a kidney transplant. The manner of which she presented herself was with beauty and grace. One would never know the battle she was fighting within. Through numerous blood drives from the University of Illinois Medical Center, Nicolette taught “Giving of oneself is the best anyone can give.” She enjoyed the simple things that life had offered: riding a horse, reading a good book, listening to music, being with family/friends and playing her violin. She studied violin under the direction of Annie Kincaid and Casey McGrath Bahar. Nicolette willingly shared her talent of violin when asked to play for a wedding or funeral, but her love was playing for foundations that supported children like CASA and Zonta. She returned to MYSO in 2007 and played until she received her living donor kidney in 2008. Once again, Nicolette had the will, desire and love to return to her passion of playing for MYSO in 2009 as a Joliet Junior College freshman. She was strong and doing well until she developed Post Transplant Lymphproliferative Disease and began undergoing chemotherapy. Nicolette fought a courageous battle and asked to go home to Our Heavenly Father on June 18, 2011. The MYSO Board unanimously voted to name the concertmaster chair the Nicolette Bellos Memorial Chair in honor of her on November 5, 2011. To this day, her family has remained actively involved with MYSO. If you would like your donation to be made in memoriam of Nicolette, simply add “Nicolette Bellos” in special instructions box, or send your check payable to MYSO to: Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra c/o Audra Sybert 655 Wooley Rd. Oswego, IL 60543 |