Sirius primping at Sunshine Kids event in Lakewood Ranch

It wasn't just about a day at the spa for the Sunshine Kids in Lakewood Ranch.

It was about being a princess, or a prince.

Karen Medford, the owner of Sirius Day Spa at the Green hosted 16 Sunshine Kids — five girls and one boy — for a day of feeling special June 2.

The Sunshine Kids organization tries to add quality of life to children with cancer by providing them with activities to allow them to celebrate life.

The celebration included pedicures, facials, massages and hairstyling. It also included bunch for the parents.

Lakewood Ranch's Rachel Wells was headed to brunch while her 5-year-old daughter, Charlotte, was having her toenails painted by cosmetologist Aubrie Stevens. 

"She loves being primped," Rachel Wells said. "She loves girlie things, anything princessy."

Madison Alger, the activities coordinator for the Southeastern Region of the Sunshine Kids, said she met Medford at a previous event and she volunteered her business for the day.

"Most of these kids have never been able to do this before," Alger said. "This is just kind of fun. We get a lot of creative license for this job."

She said the 15 Sunshine Kids came from Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton, Sarasota and Cape Coral.

Sarasota's Valerie Welch, 15, was having her hair curled. She had tried to curl it herself a time or two but she knew this was going to be better as it was done by cosmetologist Ester Arnsby.

She was going to have her nails done next.

"I am going to have them done, but not black," she said. "My sister, Natalie, did my nails black once, and my lips black. It looked like a horror movie."