Little girl with Alopecia decorates her head with jewels for her school's 'Crazy Hair Day'

A seven-year-old girl suffering from a condition that has caused her to lose all of her hair wasn't about to let the misfortune get in the way of celebrating one of her favourite school traditions: Crazy Hair Day.

Gianessa Wride from Salem, Utah, began discovering that her hair was falling out just after New Year's. Before the end of the month, the little girl was nearly bald, and her mum Daniella was compelled to chop off the few remaining bits of hair.

Yet when Crazy Hair Day rolled around at school, she wasn't about to sit back and watch. Daniella bought packs of jewel stickers and covered Gianessa's head in a blingy design that was a major hit with classmates.

Gianessa suffers from Alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks hair follicles, resulting in hair loss.

She lost all of her hair in January, but didn't want to miss out on Crazy Hair Day at school — because, her mum told Daily Mail, she "loves this kinda thing".

"I know she just wants to be like other kids and just fit in and have fun," she went on. So, after considering temporary tattoos, body paint, and body glitter, Daniella settled on jewel stickers she found for scrapbooking.

She then covered the little girl's head. Some designs — an owl, some flowers — were pre-made, and she was able to just stick them on. She then filled in some of the extra space with blue jewels.

"She said she was really nervous no one would like it," Daniella said. But when Gianessa saw the final results in the mirror, "she got a massive grin on her face and she said, 'I look so awesome!' I asked her if she thought people would love it and she said, "I'm sure they will.'"

They definitely did. When Daniella dropped her daughter off at school, she could hear Gianessa's classmates tell her, "That's so cool!" and "That's awesome!" Late, Gianessa had more happy news to share when she was picked up at the end of the school day.

"She said, 'All the kids kept swarming me! They all LOVED it!' She said her teacher chose her for best "crazy hair" in her class," Daniella said. 

The proud mum says her daughter has been a good sport throughout the entire ordeal, staying positive and making the most of her situation.

"This girl is fierce and brave, way more so than I could have ever imagined," she said. "There are times that I think I take it harder than she does. I remember just sobbing one night after she went to bed."

"I truly don't care if she has hair or not. But it's the experiences I don't want her to miss out on: Crazy Hair Day, getting ready for dates/dances with friends and doing each other's hair, etc," she explained. "You think things like: I hope someone just sees her for who she is her beautiful, sassy, smart, loving, kind self. Not just the girl without any hair."

Though the cause of Alopecia is still unknown, many experts point to factors like viruses, infections, and stress — the latter of which seems to be the case for Gianessa.

Last year, her family moved twice within the span of three months to care for her grandmother, who Gianessa saw collapse before she died.  

Unfortunately, there is no cure for Alopecia. Also, because it is considered a cosmetic condition, most insurance companies do not cover treatment — which can include steroid injections in the head, which can temporarily coax hair to grow.

Instead, Gianessa has been rocking the bald look, sometimes dressing up with colorful scarves — or, for one special day at least, jewels.

This article was first published on Daily Mail and is republished here with permission.