“Cancer doesn’t stop me me from being a princess.”
Photo // Andrea Sierra
This teenage girl diagnosed with cancer has an inspirational and moving message for all of those who have and will experience what she’s gone through.
Andrea Sierra Salazar, a 17-year-old girl, had found a lump on her neck after sleeping uncomfortably one night – it was disconcerting enough for a visit to the doctor. Salazar had no idea that two tumors had developed in her neck and her chest. She was then diagnosed with stage 2 lymphoma.
Salazar had no side effects beforehand, but she was due for treatment – undergoing chemotherapy was the next thing on her list. At the same time, she couldn’t attend school, so she had to pass the time somehow. That’s when the 17-year-old’s mother suggested her to model in the mean time.
“Before chemotherapy I had always been a confident person,” Salazar told Buzzfeed. ”When my hair started to fall out I would look in the mirror… I wouldn’t feel that confident about myself.”
Salazar had modeled in the past, but her hair loss during the treatment discouraged had her from doing it – trying on wigs didn’t help her confidence either. However, she soon decided that it was time for a change for the better.
“I realized that I had no reason to be ashamed of the way I looked, I should be proud,” Salazar said to Buzzfeed.
Photo // Andrea Sierra
She was inspired to do a photoshoot without a wig – she wanted to motivate others that feel the same way she did, and to show them that they are still beautiful as ever.
Photo // Andrea Sierra
“I see all these little girls… you can see it in their faces that they lose all confidence in themselves,” said Salazar. “I want them to know that your hair or your [looks don’t] define who you are – what really matters is your inner beauty, the way you treat others, and if you’re a kind person, that shows through.”
Photo // Andrea Sierra
Her photos have inspired many of the the younger individuals at clinics, and her actions have touched the hearts of thousands on social media.
Amazing!
Please SHARE this girl’s inspirational message for those who have struggled as she has!
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