Children’s Hospital hosts fashion shoot at Denver Art Museum

DENVER — Some fashion shows introduce the season’s new styles, some are fund raisers and others are just for fun. The Children’s Hospital fashion show at the Denver Art Museum is one of the later-most variety.

“We just wanted to invite out patients and their families to have a fun moment at the Art Museum.” Ashley Pritchard with the Denver Art Museum said.

Seven kids with various types of cancer were strutting their stuff at the museum today to the delight of friends and family. But for 8-year-old Addison Kleinhans and 5-year-old Bella Hicks, it was cancer, not clothes, that brought them together. 

“When Bella and I saw each other, we just ran to each other.” Addison said with his arm around Bella.

When Addison and Bella met, they both had 98-percent leukemic cells in their bone marrow.

“Exactly the same,” Sarah Kleinhans, Addison’s mother, said. “So something brought them together.”

Addison and Bella have since been inseparable .

“It just makes it all better and stuff,” Bella said. “It comforts you, and I love Addison. He’s my best friend.”

“And friends are forever.” Addison added.

It’s all left Bella’s dad, Steve Hicks, a little amazed.

“They’re really literally like old souls that have been re-connected,” he said.

Addison’s and Bella’s parents may not be able to explain this connection, but they know that it’s something very special.

“They have their own little world. It’s the Addison and Bella world, and nobody can break in there,” Sarah said.