4-Year-Old Is Mesmerized by Beauty Ad Featuring a Model Who Uses a Wheelchair

Ulta just made one little girl (and her mother) very happy.

Four-year-old Maren Anderson uses a wheelchair to get around. The little girl was out with her mother, Carolyn, when the pair came across an ad that grabbed their attention. In the Ulta ad, a model is shown using a wheelchair. For once, Maren didn’t feel all that different. Her mother shared the photo of her awestruck daughter staring at the poster on Facebook to show the power of inclusivity. In less than a week, her message has gone viral.

“Well Ulta, you absolutely stopped my girl in her tracks this evening. It was mesmerizing to watch her stop, turn and gaze at this poster. So thank you,” the mom writes.

Maren has a rare disease caused by gene mutation in early infantile epileptic encephalopathy, spinocerebellar ataxia and pontocerebellar hypoplasia, according to Good Morning America. As a result, the little girl has to use a wheelchair. After 12 weeks of practicing the ins and outs of using her wheelchair, she only recently started feeling comfortable with it in public, Carolyn explains to GMA. “On this particular evening, Maren was cruising on the sidewalk in her wheelchair with a confidence we had not seen before. She was so eager, we could barely get her to stop at crosswalks,” her mom says. “Then, she suddenly stopped and focused all her attention on this image of a woman in a wheelchair like hers. It was amazing.”

The woman in the Ulta ad is Steph Aiello. The 29-year-old California native has always had a passion for makeup, according to her blog U Walk, I Glide. After a car accident turned her life upside down, she became a C6-7 quadriplegic. During her recovery period, she worked with her occupational therapist to help her figure out a way to still follow her own makeup and beauty routine. Eight years later, Aiello is now a popular beauty vlogger, where she shares videos and tutorials on her Instagram and YouTube accounts. The ad she’s featured in for Ulta was a special moment for the vlogger, and one she hoped would strike a chord with others who use wheelchairs.

“I can’t even begin to say how grateful I am for Ulta Beauty and each and every one of you… Eight years ago, when I found out I was a quadriplegic, I never thought I could dream this big. I thought feeding myself and dressing myself would be my biggest accomplishments. They are. Those are my own wins… but this accomplishment is for us,” she writes on Instagram. “It’s for my beautiful community who deserves to be seen and heard in any and every industry. Ulta Beauty is helping us change what’s considered ‘normal’ and ‘beautiful’. Thank you so much, and remember your journey only ends when your dreams do. Your journey is only as big as your strength to get out of bed every morning. Keep pushing! I love you guys!”

If little Maren’s reaction is any indication of how powerful the ad has been, then it’s safe to say Aiello’s mission was accomplished. Ulta Beauty also reached out to the Andersons, according to NBC4. The company plans to fly Aiello out to Leesburg, Virginia, where the Andersons are from, so she and Maren can take a shopping trip together.

“We love that this family shared such an amazing moment and were touched to see Maren looking at the image in our window—it makes us incredibly proud. We feel even more inspired to continue to feature amazing people that help us shape how the world sees beauty," an Ulta Beauty spokeswoman says in a statement to NBC4.