Before my medical journey got really intense I always had a strong relationship with beauty. Makeup, fashion, and accessories always intrigued me. As a young girl I would walk into school with a glamorous outfit, my hair freshly done, beautiful accessorized jewelry, my makeup on, and a good personality. 

At a young age I learned from my mom and nana that it was important to love yourself and step out into the world showcasing that. The way I expressed myself was through beauty because I wasn’t the best athlete or the smartest person in the room. I had to channel what truly made me happy. Although I was more active between the ages of 5-12 I was still looked at as different.

Since I had hip dysplasia and a dermoid on my eye from birth I learned what being insecure felt like at a young age. I liked to say that the hallway at school was my runway and all I had to do was walk it. I gave peers a different reason to stare at me. When I was dressed well I felt even better and that is why kids started to come up to me and ask where my clothes and jewelry were from instead of why I walked a certain way. No matter what you look like if you step out into the world with pure confidence, that will overshadow all the insecurities you may have.