Her opening act has gone viral. As of Aug. 26, 2015, the video below has garnered more than 4.5 million views. It all started when the team at Zumba spotted Audrey's talent by way of her public Facebook page. She was invited to the conference, and the rest is, well, viral history.
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Zumba "means happiness and fun to Audrey," her dad, Scott, told Yahoo. Audrey apparently does the popular Latin American-styled aerobics program every Saturday. Scott and Audrey's mom love to see her getting good exercise, and they say it boosts her self-confidence, too.
Her small stature is the last thing on her mind when she's movin' and groovin' on the dance floor. That's because Audrey isn't just dancing for fun. She's dancing to raise awareness. Audrey has Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA), a bone marrow disease that limits her growth. It's relatively rare, with only about 25 to 35 new cases of DBA diagnosed in the U.S. and Canada each year. Those living with the condition have bone marrow that fails to produce adequate amounts of red blood cells. The condition can cause heart murmurs and kidney defects, but with the right treatment, DBA patients can live long and healthy lives.
Audrey is doing incredible work — on and off the dance floor. Her Facebook page, dedicated to raising awareness about DBA and encouraging folks to donate to help find a cure, has nearly 400,000 likes.
Keep cuttin' up those rugs, Audrey — you're doing an incredible job of dancing your way to a better world.
