MEXICO CITY (AP) — The smell of hairspray envelops Alexa Flores López as she puts the finishing touches on an elaborate updo in her thick black hair. When Alexa learned she was celebrating a quinceañera — the traditional 15th birthday celebration in Mexico — she could hardly contain herself.
“She was so excited, like her heart was going to jump out!” said her mother, Carmen López Díaz. “She was just counting the days.”
At the Federico Gomez Children’s Hospital in Mexico City, volunteers in white and blue nurse uniforms rush to take care of the birthday children. They curl their hair, put on makeup and fix their bow ties.
It’s all dedicated to the hospital’s annual event “Mis XV” or “My Fifteenth”. Whether the young patients are being treated for a serious illness or have overcome cancer, the hospital celebrates these teenagers’ coming of age. After expensive treatments, some families cannot afford a party – the hospital offers them an alternative.
“We actually only bought shoes because the hospital takes care of everything,” said Díaz.
The hospital started the event in 2017 after volunteer nurses got wind that a beloved patient was about to turn 15. They took this as an opportunity to organize a celebration for her and eventually turned it into an annual hospital event that has been running successfully for seven years.
In Mexico, the “quinceñera,” or “fifteenth birthday,” is a major rite of passage for adolescents, especially girls. The occasion marks a teenager’s transition to adulthood.
Although Alexa’s birthday was last month, the hospital allows patients to attend as long as their birthday falls in the year of the celebration.
She has been a patient at the hospital for the past three years, being treated for lupus. Her younger sister was diagnosed with the same disease last year, making the situation even more difficult for the family. However, the celebration at the hospital was something to look forward to.
“We never imagined this would happen – we thought it was a normal hospital procedure,” her mother said.
Francesca Solórzano, who has been volunteering at the hospital for 17 years, is on hand to assist Alexa on her big day, taking care of all her needs. Solórzano makes sure the teenager has enough water and sprays hairspray on her dress to keep the fabric fresh.
She also wears a silver and blue pin that matches Alexa’s bouquet.
“I get more than I give,” says Solórzano about volunteering. “I give my time here and am very blessed in return.”
Solórzano takes Alexa to a dressing room to put on her dress. When she comes out in a dark blue dress covered in sequins, the volunteers exclaim, “How pretty!” Another volunteer takes out her phone and takes a photo. “She looks like a princess!”
At the other end of the room, 15-year-old Carlos Emilio Escalona García sits down with his mother after getting dressed.
For his mother, Marta Magdalena García Chávez, this day is filled with pure joy.
“It’s really nice to see all of this,” she said. “He just had surgery, so we wouldn’t have been able to have a party.”
Carlos has been a patient at the hospital for 13 years. He has suffered from heart problems since childhood and has just had his fourth operation. His mother said he is often tired but still motivated to make the most of each day.
“Like any other teenager, my favorite subject is sports,” says Carlos. “I also really enjoy math – I have so much fun with the different math problems.”
Preparations for the hospital’s spectacle have been a long time coming. The hospital is already contacting makeup artists and other vendors in January to ask if they would like to take part. The entire event is free.
After you put on your royal outfit, the party can begin.
Down in the banquet hall, family members crowd the dance floor, craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the teenagers. When they enter with their partners, Carlos and Alexa are standing side by side in a line.
“Applause for our fifteen-year-olds!” someone shouts from the crowd.
As they begin their first dance, Alexa takes her partner’s hand and her mother zooms in with her phone to record a video. After the chorus of the song fades away, her mother takes a deep breath and puts her phone away – ready to capture the moment.
She stares at her daughter in awe as she twirls around in her blue tulle skirt.
