Mum gives thanks for life with her ‘angel’

There was nothing 17-year-old Bridgetown teenager Chay Bell loved more than her family and friends, who are all now in mourning following her tragic death in a car crash last week.

Chay was on her way home when it is believed she lost control of her car on Balbarrup Road and crashed into a tree on Wednesday afternoon.

Speaking to the Manjimup-Bridgetown Times, Chay’s mother Corinna described her daughter as “an angel”.

“Anybody who met her would say the exact same thing, that she was helpful and friendly,” she said.

“She had so many friends and I always used to tell her ‘you’re someone who shines a little brighter than other people’.

“I think other people saw that as well.”

In addition to her family, her boyfriend Maui and her friends, Chay also loved her sport, especially netball and basketball.

Chay played netball in Bridgetown, Manjimup and Manjimup Senior High School and also coached juniors as well as being happy to put her hand up to umpire a game.

“She played sport at every opportunity, she wasn’t happy to play one thing, she would play at every level, whatever was on offer, she did,” Mrs Bell said.

In Year 12 this year, Chay had her heart set on becoming a police officer and according to her mother, had set her mind on getting top marks in her subjects.

Manjimup Senior High School principal Kerry Mather said Chay had been “hitting her straps” this term.

“She had set her goals and was heading towards them, she was a hard-working student,” Ms Mather said.

“Chay was extremely well-liked and had a cheerful and bubbly personality.”

Mrs Bell said since Chay was young, she had always been rushing towards what she wanted.

“She had fire in her belly and that was it until she got what she needed and what she wanted,” Mrs Bell said.

While she would always regret Chay would not get to live the life she had planned, Mrs Bell said one thing she would never regret was her relationship with her daughter.

“In terms of what we had, for the time we had it, we had the best relationship we could have,” she said.

Mrs Bell thanked all of Chay’s friends for being in her daughter’s life and filling her days with happiness and friendship and invited them to attend the funeral in Bunbury on Saturday.

The funeral will take place at the Crematorium Chapel at 10 Belcher Street from 11am.

Chay’s family has asked in lieu of flowers, people bring a balloon, which will be released for Chay following the service.