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Woman creates a Cinderella princess who looks just like her

Mandy Pursley was asked by a friend if she could share any photos with a little girl who was born with one arm. She had just the photos to show.
Credit: Kelly Anderson
Mandy Pursley wrote on Facebook she never really saw a princess like her -- one with one arm -- until she decided to create one herself.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Mandy Pursley is totally right: Glass slippers are so last year.

How so? It's her prosthetic glass arm that made the dreams of this California woman come true. A sort of medical fiasco, Pursley wrote on Facebook, kept her from competing in a costume competition during the summer.

She decided to keep several pictures taken during a photoshoot under wraps for a while until a friend asked if she had any to share with a little girl who was born with one arm. 

Pursley explained when her daughter was studying Cinderella stories, she realized there were no princesses who looked like her -- a princess who also had just one arm.

"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," Pursley wrote.

And when she couldn't find a similar-looking princess, she made up her own, complete with spending "countless hours" sewing Cinderella's ballgown and her prince's uniform. Her "fairy godfather" brought everything together, complete with the prosthetic glass arm.

The final result, and the pictures taken by photographer Kelly Anderson, were shared on Pursley's Facebook page. She's been overwhelmed with such a positive response.

"But my most favorite part is seeing all these little 'lucky fin' princesses and princes in the comments. Please shower these kids with all the love too because they are adorable and awesome exactly the way they are!" she wrote.

"I know they are going to write some great stories one day too!"

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