Who is Bella Abzog from Out on a Limb and what is their importance?

Bella Abzog is a close friend of Shirley's..... she is close enough to Bella that she feels comfortable sharing with her the experiences Shirley has with Kevin, a trance medium. Bella is the first to warn Shirley not to go public with her beliefs. It is also Bella who later helps Shirley make the decision to write this book.