Parris Goebel shuts down M.A.C store to meet Mount Maunganui girl Iylah Hanley

Iylah Hanley, a young Mount Maunganui girl with alopecia has met dance superstar Parris Goebel. Photo / Instagram

Bald is beautiful.

That's the message Kiwi dance legend Parris Goebel had for 4-year-old Iylah Hanley during their special meeting at the weekend.

The Mount Maunganui youngster has alopecia, an autoimmune condition resulting in hair loss.

She first saw a photo of Goebel, who has a shaved head, in a huge advertisement for makeup brand M.A.C. and her mother Amelia Palmer posted a photo with the advertisement on Iylah's Instagram page the next day, tagging Goebel.

View this post on Instagram

Just over a week ago, I saw your picture in the @maccosmetics store in Bayfair. Last night I was lucky enough to meet you! You took me and my family in like we had known you forever and you treated us like we were apart of your family but most importantly you made me feel like the most important little girl in the world - for that I am forever grateful. Thank you for being the purest soul and for having a beautiful heart. You have changed my life and I love you for it ❤️ A big thank you to your Dad, the rest of your whanau and everyone else involved for everything they did. I can’t wait to see you again and meet all your nieces and nephews! Love always, Iylah xxx @parrisgoebel @bgpopa @maccosmetics

A post shared by Iylah Hanley (@iylahpecia) on Feb 28, 2020 at 11:35pm PST

Two weeks later the pair met in an Auckland M.A.C store closed specifically for the meeting.

On Saturday, Iylah's mum Amelia Palmer shared photos and video of the encounter on Iylah's Instagram page, and Goebel did the same on her own Instagram page.

Iylah's video shows the family travelling to Auckland to see Goebel and staying in a hotel before catching a bus to the store.

At the store the pair are seen holding hands, doing each other's makeup and admiring it in the mirror and dancing together before exchanging cards with messages on them.

In her message to Iylah, Goebel wrote "Bald is Beautiful" with a picture of the two of them in a heart hugging.

Palmer captioned the video "you took me and my family in like we had known you forever".

"You treated us like we were a part of your family but most importantly you made me feel like the most important little girl in the world - for that I am forever grateful."

Iylah Hanley, left, and her mother Amelia Palmer. Photo / File

Iylah's Instagram described Goebel as having the "purest soul and a "beautiful heart".

"You have changed my life and I love you for it," the post said.

"I can't wait to see you again and meet all your nieces and nephews!"

Goebel is best known for choreographing Jennifer Lopez' recent Superbowl routine.

In her post she said she had been "touched" by how much Iylah had been through at such a young age.

"It meant so much to her to see a bald girl rocking it ... I had to meet this beautiful girl.

"We shut down the M.A.C store and had our own little makeup date!

"Over time she has gained the confidence to ignore what people think and walk out into the world and show everyone how beautiful she is," she said.

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PRINCESS IYLAH❤️ A week ago i was tagged in a post by Iylah’s mum saying her baby girl Iylah who has alopecia was so excited to see my picture at the @maccosmetics store. Iylah started losing her hair at 2 yrs old so it meant so much to her to see a bald girl rocking it. I had to meet this beautiful girl, so we shut down the M.A.C store and had our own little make up date! We danced, we wrote each other cards, we did each other’s make up, we had the best time. What touched me the most is although she has been through so much at such a young age, over time she has gained the confidence to ignore what people think and walk out into the world and show everyone how beautiful she is. Thank you Iylah for inspiring myself and people all over the world...together we are bald and BEAUTIFUL👑👑 @iylahpecia

A post shared by PARRI$ (@parrisgoebel) on Feb 28, 2020 at 2:51pm PST

Goebel also thanked Iylah for "inspiring" her and others around the world.

"Together we are bald and beautiful."

Goebel's post has almost 160,000 likes.