Nationwide — Isabella Harris, a 15-year-old African American teen from Garner, North Carolina, is fighting bone cancer while holding on to her biggest dream of dancing again.
Dancing has always been Isabella’s passion. She’s been performing since she was little and says it helps her escape from everything else.
“I love to dance,” she told My Fox 8. “I feel like when I go to dance, I kind of just forget about everything, forget about school, forget about stress, forget about work… It’s just like a way to express myself.”
Her mom, Yvette Harris, describes her as the family’s light, full of energy and determination no matter what she faces.
Aside from dance, Isabella loves to act, sing, and bake. She’s also a proud member of the National Honor Society. Yvette says her daughter gives her all to everything she does — whether it’s school, hobbies, or now, her battle with cancer.
Her journey began with a small knot on her leg. “I thought it was from dance,” Isabella said. But when it grew larger and painful, she and her mom decided to have it checked. After several visits to doctors and specialists, they finally received the heartbreaking diagnosis earlier this year—osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer.
“It was terrifying,” Yvette said. “That was probably the hardest part — just telling her.”
Since then, Isabella has faced rounds of treatment and hospital visits. “When the doctor actually diagnosed me with osteosarcoma, I cried,” she said. But through it all, she’s stayed positive, surrounded by love and encouragement from family, friends, and her community. “I have a village,” Isabella said, smiling at the posters and cards filling their living room.
Even while undergoing treatment, Isabella continues her studies through virtual classes and plans for her future. She dreams of becoming a fashion designer and photographer one day. But for now, her main goal is to finish treatment by her 16th birthday in December. “The thing I’m most looking forward to after treatment is dancing again,” she said.
Her mom shares that same hope. “I look forward to the light,” Yvette said, watching her daughter with pride. “That light in her that shines all the time.”