I wish to go to NYC and be a model
Emalyn
18
autoimmune disease
Emalyn's Trip to the Big Apple
At just 5 years old, Emalyn was diagnosed with HHT, a disorder that causes missing or malformed capillaries. At 6 years old, she had surgery to remove a brain AVM. The summer going into her 8th grade year, Emalyn was diagnosed with brucellosis, and then with Graves’ disease, or hypothyroidism. After being sick for months and unable to get a handle on her most recent diagnosis, Emalyn was then diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer. Due to the brain AVMs, she began having problems with her vision during her junior year in high school. After finding an AVM in her occipital lobe, Emalyn underwent surgery and lost partial vision in both of her eyes.
She continued to press forward, however, even after facing so much in her short lifetime. When Emalyn was referred to Make-A-Wish, she was so excited to have something to take her mind off her medical issues. Throughout her many treatments and surgeries, Emalyn used makeup to comfort and distract herself. Her one true wish was clear: she wanted to have a makeover and modeling experience in New York City. In June of 2019, Emalyn and her family traveled the Big Apple for her experience to begin.
The fun kicked off as soon as her family arrived. They were ushered to a private studio where Nigel Barker, a world-famous photographer, was there to greet her. After arriving at the studio, she began picking out her favorite outfits and getting her hair and makeup professionally done. Emalyn had her very own personal photoshoot experience, learning the ropes of modeling from some of the world’s top professionals. With the help of Nigel and other staff, she learned how to pose and interact with the camera. Before the end of the day, she was even posing with Nigel.
After her photoshoot, Emalyn and her family spent the day in the city. They shopped, saw the Statue of Liberty, ate delicious food, and walked around Central Park. This was a once-in-a-lifetime trip, and one that Emalyn will remember forever.
After returning home from the wish, Emalyn’s mom told Make-A-Wish Alabama that “the entire experience was amazing. We enjoyed the wonderful accommodations at the hotel, fantastic NYC pizza, just walking around the city, the Statue of Liberty, and we were able to see Hamilton as well. Of course, the most wonderful part of the experience was getting to meet all the super talented people that made this all come together.”
Life-changing wishes come in all shapes and sizes, and the wishes that Make-A-Wish Alabama grants are as unique as the children we serve. No matter how varied they are, wishes all serve the same purpose: creating hope for those who need it most.
