Isabelle Ballard, 19, sits next to the memorial for her father in her backyard with her dog, Pepper Jack, on Sept. 28, 2023, in Sedalia, Mo. She lost her dad six years ago, when he died from esophageal cancer.

This photo hangs with other memories in 19-year-old Isabelle Ballard's bedroom on Sept. 27, 2023, in Sedalia, Mo. The photo shows a happier time with her father at one of her birthday celebrations before he died at age 58. Since then, she tries her best to find joy while working through her grief. "I think I'm a strong person," she says. "I try to be strong."

Isabelle Ballard, 19, tastes homemade spaghetti sauce her mother, Terri, made for dinner at their home on Sept. 27, 2023, in Sedalia, Mo. Terri Ballard has watched her daughter struggle with finding joy since Isabelle's father died in 2017. She was already shy and introverted, but she found a way to work through grief with costume play, also called cosplay, and gained confidence by creating characters and alter egos. "She wouldn't even make a phone call or go through a drive-thru by herself," her mother says, referring to a time before Isabelle discovered cosplay.

A Korean beauty treatment mask shields Isabelle Ballard's face as she plays video games in the living room of her home on Sept. 27, 2023, in Sedalia, Mo. Ballard has struggled to find joy since her father died in 2017 from esophageal cancer. She has found joy in activities like esports and cosplay.

Isabelle Ballard, 19, transforms into her cosplay character, Bayral, inspired by the movie "Avatar," on Sept. 28, 2023, in Sedalia, Mo. Ballard created the persona and hand-made the costume. The makeup takes her three hours to apply each time she decides to transform into the character. She uses cosplay to bring joy to others, and to experience joy herself and overcome grief from her father's death.

Isabelle Ballard, 19, applies makeup to transform into her cosplay character, Bayral, in her bathroom at her home on Sept. 28, 2023, in Sedalia, Mo. The character is inspired by the movie "Avatar." Ballard discovered that cosplay helped her cope with anxiety and depression after her father died from cancer in 2017. She enjoys dressing up and visiting schools, fairs and other places to bring others joy and inspire acceptance and creativity.

Isabelle Ballard, 19, dressed as Bayral, drives her truck to visit Washington Elementary School on Sept. 28, 2023, in Sedalia, Mo. Ballard attended Washington herself when she was young, before her father died. Now, she dresses up as a character inspired from the movie "Avatar" and visits schools and other places to bring people joy and help overcome her grief.

Isabelle Ballard, 19, walks through the Washington Elementary School cafeteria on Sept. 28, 2023, in Sedalia, Mo. Ballard attended the school and returned to share her cosplay character, Bayral, inspired by the movie "Avatar." Though the food services staff remembered her as a shy, reserved child, they didn't recognize Ballard as she confidently walked through the cafeteria and announced, "What's for lunch, ladies?" When Ballard disclosed her real identity, the staff was shocked.

Ryan Turner's fourth grade class responds to Isabelle Ballard as she visits Washington Elementary School on Sept. 28, 2023, in Sedalia, Mo. Ballard had attended fourth grade in the same classroom, returning to the school to bring joy to students and staff. Ballard discovered that by transforming herself into another persona, the process has helped her cope with anxiety and depression since her father's death. "I can be anyone but myself with cosplay," she says.

Awestruck students pepper Isabelle Ballard, 19, with questions about her cosplay character, Bayral, inspired by the movie "Avatar" at Washington Elementary School on Sept. 28, 2023, in Sedalia, Mo. "Will you come to my birthday?" one student asked. "Is your hair real?" asked another. "Are you wearing clothes under there? Can I touch your ears?" others asked, while high-fiving her and checking their hands for blue paint.

While eating breakfast at Country Kitchen with her grandmother, Isabelle Ballard, 19, reacts to seeing herself displayed in a big front page photo in the Sedalia Democrat newspaper on Sept. 29, 2023, in Sedalia, Mo. Ballard was featured because of her performance as her cosplay character inspired by the movie "Avatar." She started doing cosplay to find joy after her father died from esophageal cancer in 2017. Now she wants to spread joy to others, and encourage acceptance and creativity through cosplay.