Woman Born Without an Arm Wears a Glass Prosthetic for an Inspiring Cinderella Photoshoot

To inspire people with disabilities, Mandy Pursley reimagined a popular Disney princess.

Earlier this month, Pursley — a cosplayer from Southern California — was inspired to dress up as Cinderella, to inspire others. But Pursley, who was born without her right forearm, wore a glass prosthetic instead of wearing the Disney character’s famous glass slipper.

Pursley was inspired to do the shoot years ago because she could never identify with the classic Disney princesses who do not have physical disabilities.

“When I was growing up with a physical difference, I never saw girls like myself represented in the media,” Pursley wrote on Facebook on September 19, “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.”

When her 8-year-old daughter began reading the fairytale of Cinderella at school, Pursley remembered how she felt as a child and realized that Disney still did not have a princess with a physical disability.

“When my daughter was studying Cinderella stories at school last year, I realized that even though there were so many beautiful tales from around the world, there were still no princesses who looked like ME,” she recalled.

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So, Pursley — a graphic designer — designed her own Cinderella gown, as well as a Prince Charming uniform to be worn by her husband, Ryan Pursley.

“What do you do when you can’t find a princess like you? You make up your own! I spent countless hours sewing Cinderella’s ballgown and her Prince’s uniform,” she wrote on Facebook. “This whole project was done with a lot of love.”

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Pursley and her husband —  a Marine Staff Sergeant at MCAS Miramar — then posed in full costume for a series of photographs by photographer Kelly Anderson.

“I felt like a real princess and it really felt like a dream was coming true,” Pursley told KNSD of the shoot. “Honestly, I cried because it was so beautiful and amazing to see this be a reality.”

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“I think it sends a really great message to little girls, especially,” Anderson added. “You can be creative. You can be beautiful. You can be the main character in your own story.”

The photo series went viral on social media, and Pursley’s original Facebook post has amassed more than 39,000 likes and 28,000 shares. Other parents have also been inspired to share pictures of their children with disabilities dressed as Disney princesses, Pursley said.

“This costume is dedicated to all the little girls learning to navigate the world with their ‘lucky fins’ or other challenges,” she wrote on Facebook. “I hope you know you are beautiful, and that you are UNSTOPPABLE! Write your own story, and be your own kind of princess.”