With just the right amount of blush, Mairen Bello is ready for the Quinceañera glamour shots she's always dreamed of.
"A couple of months ago, I didn't even think about this. This is just a miracle," Bello expressed.
Just last summer, Bello faced a life-changing diagnosis.
"Losing the hair was the most difficult thing for her because at the beginning, when she got to the hospital, she never thought she had something as big as cancer," said Maureen Bello, sister.
The 15-year-old was diagnosed with Burkitt non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Nausea, vomiting and discomfort prevented her from going to school, much less celebrate her 15th birthday. Through it all, she just kept smiling.
"Do not give up and always smile. You have to be happy," Bello said.
It's her positive attitude that makes her an inspiration to friends, family and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
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"The fact that this organization, with the inspiration of beautiful young ladies like Mairen, can fund over $1 million to the South Florida community to help struggling families with co-pay assistance, that's unheard of, that's wonderful," Alejandro Mendieta said.
Next Saturday, Bello will be named the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's 2016 Miami Girl of the Year.
"I'm so happy and I'm just blessed," she said.
As a special treat, celebrity makeup artist Gloria Pelo and renowned Miami photographer Alain Martinez donated the glamorous photo shoot at the Biltmore Hotel.
"We lose focus on the important things in life. So seeing her is an inspiration for all of us," Martinez said.
"Mairen is a fighter and she's here to share that story," Mendieta said.
