NEW ORLEANS — After she was inspired by her mother's fight against cancer, a Tulane student founded an organization to give hope to cancer patients.

Isabella Spar created Project Bell when she was 12 years old after watching her mother ring a bell to mark the end of radiation treatment for a brain tumor. The organization donates bells to hospitals around the country and is even expanding internationally. So far, Project Bell has donated 130 bells.

"It was something to look forward to," Spar said. "It's a milestone for anything, any milestone during this treatment. It's a long process. There's a lot going on. It's not just an end date. It can be a milestone for anything going on and I think it's also not just a milestone for patients, it's a milestone for the physicians, for the health care staff, for their families, for any single person involved and I think it's a source of strength and really just a way to mark a part of your journey. I think it's a very important part."

Project Bell has also donated bells to hospitals in the Caribbean and South America, giving thousands of patients the chance to celebrate recovery milestones with an exciting ritual.