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17-Year-Old With Cancer Just Made A Very Powerful Statement After Losing Her Hair
“Cancer doesn’t stop me being a princess.” That’s the message of 17-year-old Andrea Sierra Salazar, and looking at these photographs, we couldn’t agree more.
Andrea, who lives in Texas, lost her hair due to chemotherapy after being diagnosed with stage 2 nodular sclerosis Hodgkin lymphoma. The treatment left the usually-confident teen feeling self-conscious, but when her mother shared her daughter’s story with various modeling agencies, one photographer helped Andrea to rediscover her true beauty. While taking snaps for a photoshoot, Gerardo Garmendia captured the teen in the pictures you can see below, and after sharing one on Twitter, it’s since been liked more than 200k times.
“This journey has taught me to love and accept myself regardless of the way I look,” wrote Andrea on Facebook. “The hair on someone’s head doesn’t define who they are. All girls are princesses, and today I feel beautiful inside and out.”
More info: Facebook | Twitter | Gerardo Garmendia
RELATED:
“There were no side effects,” Andrea told Buzzfeed
Image credits: Gerardo Garmendia
“I wouldn’t have known [I had cancer] until one day I felt like I slept wrong, and my neck hurt”
Image credits: Gerardo Garmendia
“I patted my neck and I felt a really big ball”
Image credits: Gerardo Garmendia
Doctors diagnosed her with stage 2 nodular sclerosis Hodgkin lymphoma
Image credits: Gerardo Garmendia
“Before chemotherapy I had always been a confident person,so when my hair started to fall out I would look in the mirror and I wouldn’t feel that confident about myself”
Image credits: Gerardo Garmendia
“Then I realised that I had no reason to be ashamed of the way I looked, I should be proud”
Image credits: Gerardo Garmendia
“It’s not only about my outside beauty, it’s about the inside. That’s what really inspired the photoshoot without the wig”
Image credits: Gerardo Garmendia
“Cancer doesn’t stop me from being a princess,” she wrote
Image credits: Antonio Von Marrok
We couldn’t agree more
Image credits: Andrea Sierra
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Holger Lockertsen 9 years ago
"Even without hair"?? She is beautiful. Period.
Load More Replies...
EJ Ibalan 9 years ago
You're so beautiful but you know what? Having a brave heart make you even more beautiful! I'll be praying for your fast recovery. Go girl and kick that cancer's a*s! ????
EJ Ibalan 9 years ago
*makes *???? Are supposedly a smiley but they turned into questionmarks
Load More Replies...
Art Donovan 9 years ago
Without a doubt, one of the world's' most beautiful young women. Wishing her well.
Blue Troiano 9 years ago
Beauty is so much more than looks ( Although she definitly does have beautiful looks. ) Beauty is more of whats inside. Doing this was a very amazing thing to do and i send my best wishes to the beautiful woman. :)
Lady Aleta 9 years ago
She's almost prettier without hair, and that doesn't happen often - wauw!
Kathy Thompson 9 years ago
Soooooooo beautiful. By the way you are STUNNING with no hair and MAGNIFICENT with hair. Every part of you is something ladies should aim for.
Francisco Carlos Ferreira 5 years ago
Po cara fico chocado por saber que as mulheres precisam ter uma doença para mostrar que a beleza da mulher esta além dos belos cabelos. E tem mais se as mulheres soubesse quanta beleza existe debaixo dos cabelos. Cabelo é igual a um vestido, vai na loja e compra do comprimento e cores que elas querem. Você é muito mais linda do que você se imagina;
Francisco Carlos Ferreira 5 years ago
Muito linda, e de mais a mais, foram nossos pais que nos deixaram cabeludos, viemos ao mundo totalmente pelados. Eu acho a mulher careca muito mais bonitas que os homens. Da uma maquiada coloca uns adereço brincos colares pulseiras. Ficam lindas e maravilhosas eu fosse você não deixaria o cabelo esconder esta beleza, você é linda.
Marioara Popescu 8 years ago
This is so frigging vain. You can look perfectly fine without the ton pf makeup and fake hair and silly clothes. Real princesses don't need all that c**p to be beautiful.
Amelia Oswald 8 years ago
I don't know about you, but people that lose their hair to cancer always seem to have their own wonderful beauty.
Angie Chan 9 years ago
Beauty is only the eye of the beholder, what truly lies is the determination and perseverance of willingness to accept who you are. She is an inspiration!
Wilhelm Stuttgart 9 years ago
A wonderful, beautiful young lady. Stories like this remind me to appreciate life. Kudos to her parents for raising her to be strong.
Tanangela Anderson 9 years ago
You are a stunning beauty! Not just because your looks on the outside but because of your soul inside.
Peer Chowdhury 9 years ago
You are very beautiful. If someone thinks you are not? Should see an eye doctor. Get well soon.
Peer Chowdhury 9 years ago
You are very beautiful. If someone can't see your beauty......should see an eye doctor. Wishing you all the best...get well soon girl.
Elly Essenberg 9 years ago
A brave and beautiful girl. You don't even notice that she lost her hair.
Susan conaghan 9 years ago
She is stunning and looks like a princess. I hope she is doing okay.
Holger Lockertsen 9 years ago
"Even without hair"?? She is beautiful. Period.
Load More Replies... EJ Ibalan 9 years ago
You're so beautiful but you know what? Having a brave heart make you even more beautiful! I'll be praying for your fast recovery. Go girl and kick that cancer's a*s! ????
EJ Ibalan 9 years ago
*makes *???? Are supposedly a smiley but they turned into questionmarks
Load More Replies... Art Donovan 9 years ago
Without a doubt, one of the world's' most beautiful young women. Wishing her well.
Blue Troiano 9 years ago
Beauty is so much more than looks ( Although she definitly does have beautiful looks. ) Beauty is more of whats inside. Doing this was a very amazing thing to do and i send my best wishes to the beautiful woman. :)
Lady Aleta 9 years ago
She's almost prettier without hair, and that doesn't happen often - wauw!
Kathy Thompson 9 years ago
Soooooooo beautiful. By the way you are STUNNING with no hair and MAGNIFICENT with hair. Every part of you is something ladies should aim for.
Francisco Carlos Ferreira 5 years ago
Po cara fico chocado por saber que as mulheres precisam ter uma doença para mostrar que a beleza da mulher esta além dos belos cabelos. E tem mais se as mulheres soubesse quanta beleza existe debaixo dos cabelos. Cabelo é igual a um vestido, vai na loja e compra do comprimento e cores que elas querem. Você é muito mais linda do que você se imagina;
Francisco Carlos Ferreira 5 years ago
Muito linda, e de mais a mais, foram nossos pais que nos deixaram cabeludos, viemos ao mundo totalmente pelados. Eu acho a mulher careca muito mais bonitas que os homens. Da uma maquiada coloca uns adereço brincos colares pulseiras. Ficam lindas e maravilhosas eu fosse você não deixaria o cabelo esconder esta beleza, você é linda.
Marioara Popescu 8 years ago
This is so frigging vain. You can look perfectly fine without the ton pf makeup and fake hair and silly clothes. Real princesses don't need all that c**p to be beautiful.
Amelia Oswald 8 years ago
I don't know about you, but people that lose their hair to cancer always seem to have their own wonderful beauty.
Angie Chan 9 years ago
Beauty is only the eye of the beholder, what truly lies is the determination and perseverance of willingness to accept who you are. She is an inspiration!
Wilhelm Stuttgart 9 years ago
A wonderful, beautiful young lady. Stories like this remind me to appreciate life. Kudos to her parents for raising her to be strong.
Tanangela Anderson 9 years ago
You are a stunning beauty! Not just because your looks on the outside but because of your soul inside.
Peer Chowdhury 9 years ago
You are very beautiful. If someone thinks you are not? Should see an eye doctor. Get well soon.
Peer Chowdhury 9 years ago
You are very beautiful. If someone can't see your beauty......should see an eye doctor. Wishing you all the best...get well soon girl.
Elly Essenberg 9 years ago
A brave and beautiful girl. You don't even notice that she lost her hair.
Susan conaghan 9 years ago
She is stunning and looks like a princess. I hope she is doing okay.
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