Actress and mother Kristen Bell made 6-year-old Avery Huffman's day after she left her a voicemail in the voice of her Frozen character Anna. Avery, who was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor June 30, is seen in a viral video beaming as she listens to the heart-warming message from her favorite Disney princess.
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Kristen Bell at the Frozen premiere in Los Angeles in 2013 Photo: Getty Images
"Hi Avery! This is Princess Anna of Arendelle," says Kristen, in character. "I just wanted to call and say hello. So, hello! I hope you're having a great day and playing a lot with Hoppy Jumpy. I love bunnies!"
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The video, which was posted July 24 and already has more than 1.2 million views, shows little Avery looking adorably excited as she hears from her heroine, who has some extra special news for the brave little girl.
"What's that, Elsa?" continues Kristen, referencing the hit animated feature's other protagonist. "Wow, okay, I'll tell her! Um, Avery my sister Elsa says she's heard that you've been such a good girl and that you've been so brave that she has decided to crown you as an honorary princess of Arendelle! Wow! That's so exciting! I think you'll make a great princess."
Kristen voiced character Anna (left) in Disney's animated hit
Avery's reaction to the voicemail and her progress is being chronicled by her family on her official CaringBridge.org page. She was diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) which has a grim prognosis, and is undergoing radiation treatments.
"I'll admit, I've watched the video of her hearing from Anna/Kristen Bell, around 50 times, just to watch her face light up, and to hear her giggle and see her smile," her dad Brandon wrote on Thursday. "Seeing it go viral and so many people sharing the same emotions I have when I watch it, I'm constantly reminded that while Avery is going through the worst possible fight anyone should have to, she's touching so many people's hearts and her fight and toughness is reaching so many people.
I shouldn't be surprised, though, because she's been touching her mom and I's hearts since they day she was born. We love that little girl. #AveryStrong."
Inspired by Hans Christian Anderson’s The Snow Queen, Frozen follows Anna, voiced by Kristen, a princess who sets off to find her estranged sister, Elsa, voiced by Idina Menzel, whose ability to turn anything she touches to ice has trapped the kingdom in an eternal winter.
Released in 2013, the film grossed over a billion dollars at the box office, making it the highest-grossing animated film of all time – so fans were delighted but not surprised when Disney confirmed in March that a full-length sequel was in the works.
Speaking at the Walt Disney Company's shareholders meeting on Thursday, John Lasseter said: "We enjoyed making Frozen Fever so much and being back in that world with those characters.
"[Directors] Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck have come up with a great idea for a sequel and you will be hearing a lot more about it and we’re taking you back to Arendelle. We are so excited about that."
Kristen also expressed her excitement at the time, taking to Twitter to share the good news. "Dreams really do come 2!!! #FROZEN2 #itsofficial", she wrote to her followers, along with a humorous picture of herself sleeping on a bag of ice.
