Disney and Make-A-Wish Make 10-Year-Old Designer’s Dream Come True
By Movieguide® Contributor
Disney and Make-A-Wish just made this 10-year-old girl’s dream of designing a dress for a princess come true.
Rita, an aspiring fashion designer who is currently battling cancer, always dreamed of seeing how the beautiful princess dresses worn in the movies and parks were made. Disney and Make-A-Wish teamed up to make that dream come true when they invited her to go behind the scenes at their costume design studio.
“I was so excited because I got to go to a top-secret fashion place at Disney,” Rita said of the experience. “I got to see all the ways costumes are designed, which was really cool.”
In addition to a tour of the costume design studio, fabric library and workshops where the outfits are created, Rita also got to take part in a one-on-one design session with Disney costume artists.
“With the help of our expert costume designers at Disney Live Entertainment, Rita selected colors, fabric and sparkles and sat down to sketch out a princess ballgown design,” a press release from Disney reads. “After consulting with her family and new Disney friends, she officially named the illustrated gown ‘Rita’s Rose Diamond Dress.’”
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The 10-year-old was presented with a doll-sized version of her design at the end of her visit.
“We have a long road ahead of us, but having this time together as a family, having fun and smiling…there are no words,” Rita’s mother, April Huls, said. “This will be a forever memory for us.”
The experience was just as meaningful for the designers who spent the day with Rita.
“As a child, I was in and out of the hospital myself. It means so much to be able to fulfill a wish for someone going through that because I know what it’s like,” Allison Atmore, a costume specialist at Disney Live Entertainment, said. “It’s one of the best experiences I’ve ever had at Disney, and I’m so grateful I got to be part of it.”
Disney has been working with Make-A-Wish for 45 years, granting the wishes of thousands of children and their families.
“Creating happiness for Make-A-Wish families is what we’re all about here at Disney. Our stories, parks and cast members help them make new memories that bring strength and hope,” Tajiana Ancora-Brown, the Director of External Affairs at Walt Disney World, said.
READ MORE: DISNEY MARKS 150,000 WISHES GRANTED THROUGH MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION
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