At just five years old, Isabella Harvey is battling leukemia for the second time. The disease has hit her hard and she has lost her hair, as she did when she was first diagnosed at age three, taking a toll on her self-esteem. Like many girls her age, Isabella loves Disney princesses, and when she went bald this time, she felt that she was no longer as beautiful as her favorite characters. "Now that she's 5, she's insecure about losing her hair," Isabella's mother, Pina, explains. "It's hard for her. She always wears a hat and never takes it off in public."

To add to her heartbreak, Isabella's treatment required her to have a plate inserted into her head and the recovery process was long and painful.

In an effort to lift her spirits, Isabella's mother reached out to a charity based in Staten Island, NY, Gianna Nicole's Heart of Hope, a group devoted to assisting pediatric cancer patients and their families. The organization then contacted photographer Alana Hubbard to arrange a special photo shoot for Isabella.

"I am partnered with a group called Bella Princess, where we do custom storybook princess photo sessions," says Hubbard. "Together, we arranged a special photo shoot for Isabella and her siblings. As a surprise, we had Isabella's favorite princess, Cinderella, wear a bald wig."

"When Isabella arrived," recalls Hubbard, "she did not want to take her hat off for the photos until she saw our special bald Cinderella. Her reaction was so emotional and so happy. She took off her hat immediately and said, 'Wow! She looks just like me!' And in a split moment, she transformed from an insecure and shy little girl into a confident and ecstatic princess."

Have a look at the touching photos and please consider making a donation to Gianna Nicole's Heart of Hope.

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From: Woman's Day US
Headshot of Elizabeth Griffin
Elizabeth Griffin
Strategic Visual Content Editor for Hearst Digital Media, Photo Editor of Esquire.com, and staff photographer at Hearst. Basically, I am a MadLib.