Woman Dresses As Cinderella With Glass Arm After Not Seeing Fairytale Princesses Like Her
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Featured Image Credit: Facebook/Mandy Purlsey
A woman created a Cinderella costume with a glass prosthetic arm to celebrate her physical difference after she struggled not seeing anyone who looked like her in the media.
Mandy Pursely, who had her right arm amputated as a child, took the fairytale-inspired photos earlier this summer for a costume competition, but due to a "medical fiasco" was unable to compete and was saving the shots for next year.
However, when a pal contacted Mandy to ask if she had any photos she could share with her daughter, who also had one arm, she decided to show her the snaps to prove that Disney princesses can have prosthetics too.
Posting pictures of herself in an incredible handmade Cinderella costume, Mandy proudly display her glass arm instead of a glass slipper while her husband and real-life Prince Charming Ryan Pursley posed with her.
Sharing the post on Facebook on Friday (20th September), she penned: "At long last...Cinderella -- with a glass ARM!
"After a medical fiasco kept me from competing at a costume competition this summer, I was going to keep these photos under wraps for another year to try again."
Adding: "But a friend asked me today if I had any pictures I could share with a little girl who was born with one arm, and I realized that we never know what the future may hold...but we can still bring joy to people today!
"This whole project was done with a lot of love. When my daughter was studying Cinderella stories at school last year, I realized that even though there were so many beautiful tales from around the world, there were still no princesses who looked like ME!
"When I was growing up with a physical difference, I never saw girls like myself represented in the media, so it took me a long time to realize that what makes us different can also be the thing that makes us strong, beautiful, and unapologetically unique," she continued.
"So what do you do when you can't find a princess like you? You make up your own! I spent countless hours sewing Cinderella's ballgown and her Prince's uniform.
"And my fairy godfather Gilbert Lozano brought everything together with the most amazing glass arm (glass slippers are SO last year!)".
Finishing the heartfelt post, she dedicated the photos, which were captured by Kelly Anderson, to all little girls facing adversity.
"This costume is dedicated to all the little girls learning to navigate the world with their "lucky fins" or other challenges," she concluded. "I hope you know you are beautiful, and that you are UNSTOPPABLE!!! Write your own story, and be your own kind of princess."
Since sharing her story online, Mandy's post has been re-shared 24,000 times and received over 3,000 comments.
What an inspiration.