Wish, granted: 6-year-old cancer patient hugs her favorite princess

I was so happy when this assignment was tossed to me today; after writing about horrible and heart-aching stuff for the past few weeks, it was wonderful to be able to share something so uplifting. Struggling with stage IV cancer, Diamond Marshall, 6, has her wish granted when she is chosen to greet Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, at the Calgary Airport yesterday. She was so excited that she threw herself into the princess's arms for a hug.

The pictures tell the story, but of course there's more to read over at Yahoo!'s Shine. Click here to read "6-year-old cancer patient gets a royal hug," or keep your eyes right here to see some of the sweetest shots.

Alberta Lt. Gov. Donald S. Ethell waited patiently while Prince William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, stopped to chat with 6-year-old Diamond Marshall on Thursday, July 7, 2011, in Calgary, Alberta.
(AP Photos/The Canadian Press, Nathan Denette) (Photos via Yahoo! Shine)

The 6-year-old was accompanied by her father and stepmother. "She was so lovely and so gracious," Danielle Marshall, 32, said of the former Kate Middleton. "For a little girl who has dreamed of meeting a princess it was a dream come true."

After hugging the pretty princess, Diamond said, "She was as fancy as she looks on the TV!"

The real clincher for me, though, was little Diamond's letter to the princess. "I watched you get married from my bed," she wrote. "My favorite princess is Aurora, who is yours? I would really like to meet you. Do you want to meet me too?"

(Photos via the Alberta, Canada, Public Affairs Bureau)