Bana Alabed, the "voice of Aleppo" with her mother for Grazia. Bana live streamed the bombardment of her childhood home on Twitter. The accounts are horrifying and touched hearts across the world. She became the face of the Syrian civil war and recently published a memoir (at 8) about her experiences. When prepping for this shoot I kept comparing her situation and public persona to my daughter's who is the same age. I had a hard time imaging how someone that age could be so beyond their years. After spending an hour with her I absolutely could see a similarity to how they respond to life and a joy that comes from being that age, but the experiences life has forced into Bana's reality have forced her to live concurrent lives where she needed to be pleading for help while also twirling with joy because of the stuffed animal my daughter sent her. Such a strong and amazing young girl. #Syrianwar #aleppo #banaalabed @alabedbana @graziauk (at Simon & Schuster)
