All Claire Lankford wanted was to be a princess. On Wednesday, residents of a Texas town granted her wish.
The city of Dickinson organized a "Princess Day" in honor of the 5-year-old, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer, KHOU reports. Hundreds lined the streets as Claire, dressed in a regal gown, rode a carriage through the town with her parents.
"I can't believe people would want to come out and celebrate my child … a little girl many people didn't know just to make her dream possible," Claire's mother, Patricia Lankford, told the Houston Chronicle. "It's such a blessing to see what the community can do when they come together. It's overwhelming and I feel so honored and blessed that people know my child's name."
It all started with a knock on the door from Snow White and Cinderella. Then Claire donned a dress similar to Belle's from "Beauty and the Beast" and was picked up by Prince Charming (her father), who brought her to a horse-drawn carriage.
The petite princess then waved from her throne as she was chauffeured through her neighborhood in an extravagant procession.
Claire was diagnosed with alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma in 2012. There is no cure for the rare form of cancer, which affects the connective tissues. Claire's parents are cherishing the time they have with her now.
"It’s not about the clothes you wear or the house that you live in," Patricia Lankford told KHOU. "It’s the simple memories that you take time to make."
This is not the first time a community has banded together to make a dream come true. In November, the Make-a-Wish foundation and San Francisco officials turned the city into Gotham for a 5-year-old, who got to patrol the streets as "Batkid."
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