CHULA VISTA, Ca. -- A group of high school students battling cancer spent Friday morning getting pampered for prom.
Rico's on 3rd Salon, in Chula Vista, provided complimentary hair and makeup services for 30 teenage girls, reported KSWB.
"I feel gorgeous. I never put on makeup but when this came on, I was like, wow," said 17-year-old Ellen Erickson.
Since Erickson was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer at age 11 she has had 13 surgeries. Doctors replaced the femur in her knee with a prosthetic.
"She was down to 88 pounds. She had no hair and for a long time, we were struggling with her identity," said Erickson's mother Cynthia.
Although she still walks with a limp, Erickson won't allow it to stop her from walking on the red carpet at prom.
All of the girls at the salon Friday shared a similar story and will join Erickson at the big bash.
"These kids are my heroes. You know, just to see these kids go through what they go through takes me away from what I go through," said salon owner Snooky Rico.
Rico said she understands what the girls are going through firsthand. She was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer in 2014.
"Some of them we have seen year in and year out and it's just amazing to see some of them still standing. Kids are so resilient," said Rico.
Rico and her staff of volunteers have been getting girls hair and makeup ready for the past six years through the Friends of Scott Foundation.
