Terminally-ill Oklahoma girl, 9, with rare condition achieves her dream of starring in the 'Nutcracker'
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA: Christmas has truly become a season of joy for a terminally ill nine-year-old girl. Olivia Francis, who was diagnosed with a rare neurological condition in 2020, could not contain her happiness when her lifelong dream of starring in the 'Nutcracker' came true.
Francis had always dreamed of performing in the Christmas ballet, but the little girl's dream was shattered when she was diagnosed with Friedreich's Ataxia just a year after she started taking dance lessons. “It’s called Friedreich's ataxia. It affects about 15,000 people nationwide,” Francis' mother, Mary, told KOCO. The rare disease directly affects a person's ability to walk and makes them dependent on a wheelchair or walker, per Daily Mail.
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Despite Francis' heartbreaking diagnosis, Mary kept her hopes high and tried hard to make her daughter’s dream come true. It was when she approached the Oklahoma City Ballet that her efforts bore fruit. The ballet company was so moved by Francis' story that they created a special role just for her - a girl named Marie who uses a vintage wheelchair.
Francis reportedly burst into tears when she found out that she would finally be able to perform on stage with fellow ballerinas. The production house gave her the best gift of her life by treating her with the news of her selection during a performance on her ninth birthday. Despite the odds, she made her emotional ballet debut on December 10. However, she will continue to perform on stage through December 18.
Some happy clips from the performance show Francis using her arms to join in the choreography, while other actors on stage move her wheelchair around in line with the dancing. During the rehearsals, she was even seen gliding across the stage with her loving toy doll in her hand. Having admitted that she was worried about her performance, the nine-year old said that the nicest part of being a part of the 'Nutcracker' was making friends on set.
Francis admitted performing as Clara’s sister was not how she envisioned her debut. "I'm really grateful. Mostly I'm just acting, but there is one part where I can dance," she told KOCO.
School director for the Oklahoma City Ballet Racheal Nye also appreciated her determination and said "everyone just has their eyes on her.' Franics' presence on the stage inspired many like her. "It's really something to see her on stage. It's inspired everyone around her," Nye reportedly added. Mary said that watching her superstar daughter on stage made her emotional, as she said that her daughter told her, "Mom, they're trying to make me famous."