Dreams Come True: Two Teens Battling Life-Threatening Illnesses Become Models for a Day

Check out these awesome behind-the-scenes pictures of Mary Alice Stephenson, the founder of GLAM4GOOD, and her team granting the the modeling wishes of two very deserving girls from Make-A-Wish.
GLAM4GOOD founder Mary Alice Stephenson meets her two Make-A-Wish supermodels, Thabrianna (Tay) Ashley and LeeAnn Baternik. Both girls have been flown to New York City with their families by Make-A-Wish to have their wish granted by GLAM4GOOD. Special thanks to Benjamin Lozovsky for the behind-the-scenes shots of this special day.
Tay and LeeAnn meet Mary Alice for a fitting at the DKNY flagship store in New York City. Danielle Vreeland and Aliza Licht from DKNY donated head-to-toe looks for the girls. DKNY opened up their store for this special Make-A-Wish GLAM4GOOD fitting! Here Mary Alice, LeeAnn, Danielle and Tay are hamming it up in DKNY trench coats.
Mary Alice has fun trying to get the moms to model, too!
LeeAnn loves every dress in the store!
Tay peeking out of the dressing room at DKNY.
LeeAnn can't believe her wish is coming true.
Practicing the moves. Mary Alice Stephenson, the founder of GLAM4GOOD, turns the DKNY store into the girls' very own dressing room!
GLAM4GOOD arranged for the girls to be shot at the prestigious MILK Studios by fashion photographer Gabrielle Revere.
Beauty.com's Beauty Director at Large Romy Soleimani shows Tay a fun and modern way to incorporate a flash of bold color into her look with a bright liquid liner. Tay loves blue so Soleimani used a great bright blue liquid liner from Stila and recommends drawing the liner close to your lash line starting thin and gradually getting thicker as you go.
Nail stylist Elle used a Dermelect Opulence (white) and Provocative (pink) on LeeAnn and Tay. She also used acrylic paint to color block and outline nails in black.
In order to achieve a sleek shiny look for Tay, Suave Professionals celebrity stylist Kozmo used Natural Infusion Macadamia Moisturizing Light Oil Spray. Suave Professionals stylist tip: Spray Natural Infusion Macadamia Moisturizing Light Oil Spray on dry hair 6-10 inches away from head for an instantly moisturized look. To enhance hydration, use with Natural Infusion Moisturizing Shampoo & Conditioner.
Beauty.com's Beauty Director at Large Romy Soleimani gave LeeAnn a wow statement lip! She chose a super bright, playful pink in a matte texture to keep it cool. Romy's tip: after applying right out of the tube use your fingers to press the color into your lips.
Tay in the styling room at MILK Studios getting ready and excited to have her wish come true!
The team from Suave Professionals pampered the moms, too! Tay's mom, Malita Ashley, loved getting a touch of glam. Her smile says it all!
Tay loved her DKNY sport inspired look. She opted for a funky, athletic, street style outfit for the shoot but said she would be wearing this DKNY blue flare dress at home with heels.
LeeAnn loves her Tuleste bow ring!
Benjamin Lozovsky catches fashion photographer Gabrielle Revere shooting Tay as she steps onto the set at MILK Studios.
Tay's Mom, Malita, cries tears of happiness with photographer Gabrielle Revere.
Beauty.com's Beauty Director at Large Romy Soleimani gives Tay a touch up!
LeeAnn hits the set in head-to-toe DKNY. Shot by photographer Gabrielle Revere.
Mary Baternick, LeeAnn's mom, gets emotional watching her daughter's wish come true. Baternick says, "My favorite moment of this experience was when LeeAnn came out to model in front of the cameras. It was so overwhelming for me, I felt so proud and so blessed to be experiencing this with her. All I could think of while I was crying my eyes out watching her was, 'FINALLY, TEARS OF JOY!'"
GLAM4GOOD surprised LeeAnn and Tay with noted male models from Fusion. Julio Salmon, Sean Miller and Brandon Rolfes-Lopez snuck on set at MILK to surprise and model with the Make-A-Wish girls.
Fusion's Sean Miller, Brandon Rolfes-Lopez and Julio Salmon snuck on set at MILK to surprise and model with the girls. Skateboards courtesy of Belief.
Mary Baternik, LeeAnn's mom, watches her daughter's wish come true.
Jump for joy! Both LeeAnn and Tay said their GLAM4GOOD Make-A-Wish day was one of the best days of their lives!
Photographer Gabrielle Revere catches a tender moment with Tay, LeeAnn and their moms! For more information on how you can experience the power of a wish, check out the Make-A-Wish website.
GLAM4GOOD would like to thank all of the incredible people who generously donated their time and talent to make this day special for Tay and LeeAnn.

Thabrianna Ashley and LeeAnn Baternik are teenage girls with big dreams. Not even life-threatening illnesses will get in the way of having those dreams come true.

At age 14, LeeAnn Baternik had a small lump removed from her thigh. When the pathology results came back she found out it was Ewing’s Sarcoma, a very rare form of cancer usually found in the bone.

I went through 8 months of chemotherapy and 6 weeks of radiation. It was a very difficult time for me and my family.

When I asked Mary Baternik, LeeAnn’s mom, how she stayed so strong for her daughter, she told me she kept a quote in her wallet that helped her get through some of the tough days.

I have it written on a piece of paper in the same pocket as LeeAnn’s insurance card so every time she had a scan, test or doctors appointment , I would see it when I pulled out her card. It reads, ‘Whenever you find yourself doubting how far you can go, just remember how far you have come. Remember everything you have faced, all the battles you have won, and all the fears you have overcome.’ I guess it’s my own little way of reminding myself everything’s going to be okay!

Thabrianna Ashely’s nickname is Tay. Tay has Sickle Cell Disease. She is 18 and has been in the hospital every year of her life. Tay’s mom, Malita Ashley, says that at any time her daughter could die of complications related to her disease, asthma or Carotid stenosis. Tay’s illness causes problems with her entire body including her internal organs.

In the winter time, Tay can’t become too cold because it can cause extreme pain in her joints. In spring and summer, Tay can’t become too hot because she can become dehydrated and have difficulty breathing, which can cause chest pain that may lead to acute pneumonia.

Both girls were flown to New York City with their families to have their wish to be models for a day granted by Make-A-Wish and my organization, GLAM4GOOD. I was inspired to create GLAM4GOOD after volunteering my time granting countless fashion-related wishes for over ten years as the National Fashion Ambassador for Make-A-Wish. I love every single aspect of my career as a style and beauty expert, but when I started granting wishes and witnessing the powerful healing effect fashion and beauty can bring, my life changed. There’s a tremendous joy that comes from being of service. Once you experience that joy, there is no turning back. At the end of the day I asked myself if all the magazine covers, celebrities and ad campaigns I had styled had really done anything to truly help make a difference in the world. The answer was no. So I found a way I could still do what I’m passionate about and know that, when I leave this earth, I used fashion to change lives in a way that you can’t put a price tag on.

Thanks to Make-A-Wish, I’ve had the honor of seeing fashion heal in a profound way. Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children who are diagnosed with life-threatening medical conditions every 38 minutes on average. A wish is a game-changer, more than just a nice thing. Wishes impact everyone involved — wish kids, their families, volunteers, donors, sponsors, medical professionals and communities. For LeeAnn and Tay, having their wishes come true not only gave them hope, strength and joy, it brought their parents some much needed relief.

My favorite moment of this experience was when LeeAnn came out to model in front of the cameras. It was so overwhelming for me. I felt so proud and so blessed to be experiencing this with her. All I could think of while I was crying my eyes out watching her was, ‘FINALLY, TEARS OF JOY!’

In the video above and the following album, meet the inspiring Tay and LeeAnn and their incredible moms, and get a rare behind-the-scenes look at their wish to be models for a day coming true.

My GLAM4GOOD team and I were honored to create this special experience for Tay and LeeAnn and could not have done it without the dedication, time and help of so many talented people. A special thank you to the big-hearted team at Suave Professionals, photographers Gabrielle Revere and Benjamin Lozovsky, Milk Studios, Beauty.com‘s Beauty Director at Large Romy Soleimani, nail stylist Elle, hair stylist Kozmo, Fusion Models, Butter London and the generous team at DKNY.

1 Comment

Kathie says:

February 18, 2016 at 6:54 pm

Hi BrandyWashington with an update! Everyone in the flamiy is employed and we have two in College classes. We are so blessed! After our time of rebuilding our flamiy unit we have become closer then ever, also my children were able to learn a little about the economy and responsibility. My hope in the time of hardship was that my children take positivity and understanding things change we will never have total control and be thankful for what we have FAMILY FIRST!

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