The People Project:
Robin and Bella Cervantes
By Ashley & Andrew LeSaicherre | March 2, 2024
Meet Robin and Bella Cervantes!
Robin grew up in Tickfaw, Louisiana. She went to St. Thomas Aquinas, then transferred and graduated from Loranger High School in 2011. She met her husband, Alex, in 2007, and they got married in 2013. Together they have Bella (11), Leo (9), Jacob (6) and Matthew (3).
In 2015, Bella was diagnosed and beat retinoblastoma, an eye cancer that begins in the retina. She fought for her life for a year traveling to St. Jude Hospital, and became cancer free in February 2015.
In June of 2023, Brave Bella Bead Co was started. Bella needed a way to pay for her braces, and she hit her goal within a week of selling her bracelets. Since then, they have grown and become a successful business. A portion of all sales is donated to St. Jude Hospital.
They are members of Eagle Heights Church, and they have a cat, Grady, and a dog, Nora.
We want to thank Robin and Bella for spending some time with us and letting us get to know about their lives and their love of the area.
Q: What is your favorite restaurant in the area, and what do you like to get there?
Both: Streetside Market!
Robin: I get the cowboy roll. I just started trying sushi!
Bella: I love their ramen.
Q: What is your favorite childhood memory?
Robin: Going to church with my grandmother. We would go to the chinese buffet after, it was a treat.
Bella: My Make-A-Wish trip to Disney World in August 2015. Just walking around and meeting Elsa.
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be? And why?
Robin: I would say Disney World.
Bella: Miami to see my favorite soccer player, (Lionel) Messi, play!
Q: What is your favorite movie? What is the first movie you remember seeing in a theater?
Both: The Parent Trap. We watch it together!
Robin: The first movie I remember seeing in the theater is Rugrats with my dad.
Bella: My first movie was Trolls. I saw it on a date with my Mom.
Q: Do you have a favorite book? What do you love about it?
Robin: The Giving Tree. It gets me every time.
Bella: Any of the Jenny B. Jones books.
Q: What advice would you give a group of people?
Robin: No matter what it looks like, you can overcome things. You can always turn it around.
Bella: No matter what is happening, never give up.
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
Robin: To play in the snow.
Bella: To meet Messi!
Q: What is your favorite music or an artist/band that you would like to see (dead or alive)?
Both: Christian music is our favorite.
Q: What current or former business makes you the most nostalgic about the area?
Robin: Dillard’s in the mall.
Bella: The Adobe Restaurant
Q: If you could choose one person to go to lunch with that you’ve never met, who is it and where would you go?
Robin: Kendra Scott. She is a powerful business woman. I would love some guidance from her.
Bella: Definitely Messi. We would eat pastries in Paris.
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique that you love about the area?
Robin: Downtown Hammond businesses. They help each other out.
Bella: The community is so great. They support each other.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Robin: Being a momager for all the kids. Helping Bella with Brave Bella Bead Co.
Bella: Being a professional soccer player and entrepreneur.
Q: What is something interesting that most people don’t know about you (even friends or family)?
Robin: That I play soccer in an adult league!
Bella: That I cannot see out of my eye or that I am very afraid of tsunamis.
Q: What is a word or phrase that comes to mind when you think of the word “Home”?
Robin: Family.
Bella: Safe space.
Q: If you could have a full-time staff member that is fully paid for, what would that be? (Chef, housekeeper, driver, coach, personal trainer, etc.)
Robin: A housekeeper!
Bella: A bracelet maker!
Q: If you had to choose one type of cuisine to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Robin: It would have to be Italian food. All the pasta and bread!
Bella: Mexican food!
Q: What do you do when you are alone in your car?
Robin: I think quietly and gather my thoughts.
Q: What is the last gift you gave and received?
Robin: The last gift I gave was a cancer-free basket to Bella, and the last gift I received was flowers that my boys picked for me.
Bella: The last gift I gave was a bracelet. The last gift I received was my cancer-free basket from my Mom.
Q: What are you known for?
Robin: Being Bella’s Mom.
Bella: Playing soccer and my business.
Q: If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
Robin: To be able to help someone with their emotions. To be able to cheer up strangers.
Bella: Quick speed on the field!
Q: What are some of your hobbies?
Robin: I like to play soccer and cross stitch. I feel like I don’t have time for hobbies!
Bella: Playing soccer, making bracelets, and I am writing a book.
Q: What is your most commonly used emoji?
Robin: The face palm and the sparkle.
Bella: The soccer ball in my soccer group chat.
Q: What are you the most proud of?
Robin: All of my kids. I am proud of the boys for being gracious and supportive cancer siblings.
Bella: How much my business has grown!
Q: What two items would you take with you if you shipwrecked on a deserted island where food and water were taken care of?
Robin: A tent to prevent mosquitoes and some sort of airflow like a mini air conditioner!
Bella: A phone to call for help and a soccer ball.
Q: If you won the lottery, what would be the first 4 things you would purchase or spend money on?
Robin: A house for each of the kids, childhood cancer research, a white BMW SUV and a storefront.
Bella: A house for our family, tickets to the World Cup, an indoor soccer facility, and a warehouse for the business.
Q: What do you want your legacy to be?
Robin: Before my grandmother passed away, I was able to tell her she was the reason I knew Jesus, and, therefore; she is the reason my children know Jesus.
Bella: Being brave and an inspiration to other because of my story.
Robin and Bella were nominated by Hayley Dickens
Who would YOU like for us to get to know?
We love meeting, knowing, and working with our community, and we love working with homes and all types of properties. Helping our community achieve their goals through buying and selling property is something we consider ourselves very fortunate to get to do. Contact one of our REALTORS® if we can help!
