When Angela Neal saw the post from a local photographer seeking out children for a photo shoot, she knew her daughter was a perfect fit.
The series centered around the theme “In the Wild,”and she saw it as an opportunity to display La’Mareea’s inner “warrior queenâ€. Which is the strength most people don’t notice on first meeting her, because they can’t see past her physical appearance.
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I wrote directly to Leslie and asked if La’Mareea would be disqualified because she had no legs. Leslie responded immediately and said that was not the case at all, and that was what made her special.
This adorable baby girl was born with caudal regression syndrome, which causes abnormalities in the limbs. Angela learned about the condition when she was four months pregnant and asked if she wanted to abort, but she said no.
“I was a ‘no’ on both. She was a miracle in her own right.”
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The photographer, Leslie Dye of Elegant Ele Fine Art in Lancaster, Ohio, recently released photos from the shoot. Now the world’s now getting its first look at this 8-year-old brown-haired beauty and learning about all the hurdles she’s had to overcome.
As a toddler, La’Mareea suffered from jaundice and had trouble keeping food down. Some of these issues could’ve been fixed with surgeries, but those had to be delayed because she was so young and underweight.
She also had blood transfusions to treat her condition, which caused her to be born without a tailbone, tibias (lower leg) and only one femur (thigh bone).
It was a harrowing time for the family, one that saw them traveling back and forth from the hospital for six long months. But La’Mareea has come out even stronger. Seriously, look at her now!
Elegant Ele Fine Art
Her “warrior queen” images perfectly capture the inner strength she’s developed through years of hospitalizations.
Of course she gets sad and asks why she cannot have legs or do all the things that her peers are able to do, but she always says that when she gets to Heaven, she will be made perfect and God will give her legs. She has faced stares, which I find runs more with the adults than the children, but there are curiosities all the same from both sides. She has endured the hurt of people’s words and ridicule at school for having no legs.
Elegant Ele Fine Art
Still, her mom says, she can do hand stands, climb stairs, and other activities no one would ever expect, and in fact, others’ doubts about her abilities have only strengthened her resolve to live life to the fullest.
It’s amazing to me that some of the most thoughtful and loving children are those who’ve endured the most. Leslie the photographer shot the beauty that is within her from an external standpoint. I already know how far she will go, now the world can too.
It’s obvious La’Mareea doesn’t let the fact that she doesn’t have legs define her, and it was obvious to Leslie, as well. Instead of seeing her as someone who’s disabled or doesn’t have legs, she said, “I see her as a child, a strong, loving individual that was given a gift.”
Elegant Ele Fine Art
And she doesn’t shy away from the spotlight, either. She was “ecstatic”when she found out she’d be starring in the photo shoot, Angela says, and once the photos were ready, La’Mareea was so excited to show everyone that she got Mom to bring her phone to school.
By and large, the other children are supportive and go out of their way to ensure she’s safe and comfortable. But anyone who tries to bully her will have to get through her older brother, Nathaniel, first.
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He’s extremely protective, and has always “stood up for her when she was not in the position to do so for herself,”Angela says.
La’Mareea’s warrior spirit will carry her far in life, and she’s already on the road toward a possible career in the arts, specifically singing, after being accepted into a local performing arts program.
Watch the video below, where she sings Dove Cameron’s “If Only”from the 2015 movie, “Descendants.”Share to spread this amazing little girl’s warrior spirit far and wide!
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