“I loved having a little girl,” said Alexa’s mother Crys Aigner. “She was a Princess and loved dressing up. She used that as a way to kind of escape from the realities of her medical world that she was in.”
At the age of 2 Alexa Aigner was diagnosed with neuroblastoma which is an aggressive form of children’s cancer. For the next few years hospitals became a second home for Alexa and her family.
“Every time she went to the hospital she knew she could pick a Princess dress to wear to the hospital so she was known as Princess Alexa,” said Aigner.
One of her best friends Preston remembers her favorite costumes.
“All kinds of dress ups like Belle, Snow White or Cinderella,” said Preston.
“She wore that Snow White into rags,” said Aigner.
On June 25th, 2008 Alexa’s cancer took her life.
“She told me right before she died she said Mom I want to go to a park and I want to get a new pink dress,” said Aigner. “She just told me all these things she wanted to do.”
Aigner started the Princess Alexa Foundation. This is an organization that delivers dress up clothes to seriously ill children in hospitals across the country.
“It was the first time that she passed that I felt good and that meant a lot to me to feel good,” said Aigner.
Playing dress up creates magical moments for every child but for seriously ill children the power of pretend helps them fight the toughest battles. The Princess Alexa Foundation aims to celebrate the inner childhood spirit of seriously ill children through dress up which they are encouraging here today at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden.
“Sara-Anne Photography contacted me and she said that she’s doing this event with the Princess Alexa Foundation Princess in the Park,” said owner of Pretty Princess Parties Ashley Griffith. “Princess Belle was kind enough to volunteer her time to be the show and tell for all the little girls.”
Children came dressed in their best princess outfits to meet Princess Belle and have a professional picture taken so that they may forever cherish the day they met a real princess.
“The joy in their face is priceless,” said Griffith.
“It’s the perfect way to encourage dress up and encourage that fairytale life that we believe is so important to have,” said Aigner.
Even though Alexa’s time on earth only lasted 4 years she’ll forever make a difference for the lives of children and their parents through the Princess Alexa Foundation.
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December 27th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
LOVE THIS : News Without the Blues!!!!
Great job! We know the Aigners and love them dearly!! We knew Princess Alexa. We will always remember her! We are supportive of what Crys has been doing!