Dying 5-year-old gets birthday ball fit for a princess

An Oregon girl celebrated her fifth birthday with a princess ball— possibly the last she’ll celebrate in her short life.

Lila May Schow was diagnosed with neuroblastoma three years ago. She’s now battling stage 4 cancer that has returned to her bone marrow.

On her birthday, July 31, her mother, father, stepfather, and hundreds of supporters gathered to throw her a party that was part birthday, part prom, part Cinderella ball, and part wedding day, KOIN 6 News reported. The day was “everything she won’t get,” her mother, Heidi Hall, told the news channel.

“I don’t even know a lot of these people…It’s just the most beautiful thing I think I’ve ever seen,” Hall said.

Much of the event was donated by community members, including Lila May’s custom-made Cinderella dress. She walked a red carpet into her “castle,” followed by Disney princesses.

“I think every little girl needs as much princess magic as they can get,” Cinderella told KOIN 6 News. “Sadly, since she doesn’t have a whole lot of time left, I thought it was really important to get as much magic as she could.”

After dancing with her father and stepfather, her stepfather dropped to one knee, pulled out a ring and asked, “Lila May, will you marry me?” She responded with a “Yes!”

Lila May recently stopped receiving chemotherapy treatment, as doctors told the family that her body is not strong enough. Her energy levels have increased now, since she’s no longer on chemo, and the excitement of the party also brought her joy.

When asked what she thought of her big day, she told KOIN 6 News, “Like it!”

Supporters are now fundraising for the family to take one last trip together, through GiveForward.

Click for more from KOIN 6 News.