One Tough Cookie: The Story of Isabella Sementilli

Isabella Sementilli‘s life was changed in an instant in the fifth grade when a bully yanked her chair out from under her. The fall left her with a concussion, a fractured tailbone, and neck and back injuries. This incident marked the beginning of what she describes as a “never-ending nightmare”. It took over 30 doctors to finally diagnose her with New Daily Persistent Headache (NDPH) and Occipital Neuralgia (ON), which didn’t show up on any scans or X-rays.

The physical injuries and debilitating pain were only part of the challenge. Isabella had to contend with the invisible nature of her disabilities. People assumed she was fine because she looked fine, not understanding the constant pain, the sensitivity to light and noise, or the struggles she faced without a visible cast or crutch. This led to more bullying and a feeling of being misunderstood. She recalls people being more concerned about a kid with a cast or crutch, while her pain went unseen.

Rather than letting the bully “break her crown,” Isabella chose to turn her negative experience into a positive one. Inspired by her Italian immigrant grandfather, she started baking “ginettes,” small Italian cookies, and selling them. She named them “Iznettes^®,” and decided to donate the money to anti-bullying and brain injury awareness organizations. This endeavor is what led her to find the IDA.

Isabella also wrote and published a book titled The Short Story of One Tough Cookie. She hopes that by sharing her story, she can show others that from a negative experience, a positive can emerge, and prevent others from enduring similar pain. Her mission is to spread her message and help others overcome and rise above bullying.

With her business, Bella Cervella, which means “beautiful brain” in Italian, Isabella sells her book, along with Never Crumble!^® apparel and bracelets. She credits her family and her strong faith in God for getting her through her darkest days. She realized that God closed the door on her dream of being a Radio City Music Hall Rockette and opened a new one as an advocate for brain injury awareness and the anti-bullying community.

Isabella is honored to be an ambassador for IDA because it provides a platform to spread awareness about invisible disabilities. She feels it’s important for people to know that even if someone “looks fine,” they may be in pain inside. As a community, she believes invisible disabilities survivors need their voices to be heard.

Isabella’s mantra is “Never crumble”. She has learned to take each day as it comes, and by being her own “tough cookie,” she hopes to inspire others to be strong, stay positive, and never crumble, no matter what they are going through.