Teen With Cancer Proves She's Unstoppable With Stunning Photo Shoot
A 17-year-old high school student recently posed for an absolutely gorgeous photo shoot, but it's her inspirational message about that has us totally obsessed.
After finding tumors in her collar bone and chest earlier this year, Texas teen Andrea Salazar was diagnosed with stage 2 nodular sclerosis Hodgkin lymphoma, Buzzfeed reports. She was spending a lot of time out of school in order to keep up with her treatments, so her mom encouraged her to use her spare time to keep up with modeling, a hobby she's loved since she was just 13.
Salazar took her mom's suggestion and continued to pose for a number of shoots. Because she had lost her hair during chemotherapy treatments, she used the shoots as a chance to experiment with fun wigs - but even still, she found that her self-confidence wasn't what it used to be.
Recently, though, Salazar came to a beautiful realization: Her cancer is nothing she should ever be ashamed of, and her physical attributes can't (and shouldn't!) define her. So, to showcase her inner and outer beauty, she partnered with photographer Gerardo Garmendia for a princess-themed photo shoot, for which she wore a bright turquoise dress - and no wig. The results were absolutely stunning.
Cancer doesn't stop me me from being a princess. 👑 pic.twitter.com/39RaDuVwkH
- Andrea Sierra (@sierraandrea99) August 10, 2016
Salazar's photos have since gone viral, bringing her more than 97,000 retweets and nearly 200,000 likes on Twitter. But more importantly, Salazar has spread a message about beauty and self-confidence that all young girls need to hear. She posted a photo from the shoot to Instagram with the following caption:
A couple of months ago when my hair first started to fall out, I would have never imagined being able to go out in public without a wig. I had lost most confidence in myself. But along with many other things, this journey has taught me to love and accept myself regardless of the way I look. I've learned that the hair on someone's head doesn't define who they are as a person, but their actions and the way they treat others. All girls are princesses, and today I feel beautiful inside and out.
Now that's what makes a true princess.
[h/t Buzzfeed]
