This Girl Transformed Her Back Brace Into Steampunk Armor And It's So Sick

Girl power.

This is Maddie Cable, a 17-year-old steampunk aficionado and car crash survivor.

Linda Cable / Via epbot.com

On Nov. 30, 2015, Maddie and her mother, Linda, were merging onto a highway in the pouring rain when their car hydroplaned and crashed. Maddie suffered a fracture to her T12 vertebra. The doctors stabilized it with rods and pins and told her she needed to wear the brace for at least six weeks.

So Maddie and her friend Sarah transformed the brace into a cosplayer's ~dream~.

Linda Cable / Via epbot.com

"At first, I felt very self-conscious about the brace," Maddie told BuzzFeed. "But then Sarah brought up the idea of steampunking it, which I loved." The two girls, who have been friends for about 10 years, share a love of all things steampunk.

It took the girls about five hours to make the impressive armor corset become a reality.

Linda Cable / Via epbot.com

They used craft stencils, metal trim, paper brads, and metal appliqués, as well as spray paint and acrylic paint to get the look.

And the finished product is ~spellbinding~.

Linda Cable / Via epbot.com

"Decorating it made the brace seem more like a fun costume than an injury brace," Maddie said.

"I enjoy wearing it now. It makes me feel more confident."

Linda Cable / Via epbot.com

Since her post-surgical appointment a few weeks ago, Maddie's been able to do without the brace for a few hours at a time, with the goal of being weaned off of it by her next follow-up visit. And both girls are brainstorming: A friend is preparing for knee surgery, so they may have another project on the horizon.