Model inspirationat New York event

Local girl Elesha Turner, 21, worked with Models for Diversity, a non-profit organisation campaigning for the industry to use more models with disabilities, at the recent event in the Big Apple.

She said: “Models of Diversity was collaborating with one of the shows for New York Fashion Week, somebody saw my pictures, liked me so invited me over there.

“It was such a whirlwind. I couldn’t believe it was happening, especially at such short notice.

“Everybody over there was incredible and so nice.

“I walked for two amazing designers, Andrea Wilde and Antonio Urzi. Antonio has designed outfits for celebrities like Beyonce, Rihanna and Lady Gaga so it was very surreal that he made an outfit for me.

“I still can’t believe I have attended New York Fashion Week, and to be part of a show that has made history is so overwhelming.

“I am so grateful to have had this opportunity and to Angel Sinclair, who made all of this possible.

“I am still rehabilitating and often in quite a bit of pain but I am really determined to move forward and keep pushing boundaries.”

Elesha had most of the bones in her left leg replaced with titanium because of her cancer.

After being diagnosed with bone cancer in 2013, doctors had to remove her femur bone, knee and two of her thigh muscles to get rid of the cancer.

She went to the doctors after returning from a holiday in Egypt.

She had been dancing all night at a club and woke up one morning with a stiff leg and pain in my knee. She had also found a lump on her knee.

After a scan doctors fast-tracked her for specialist treatment fearing it was an aggressive form of bone cancer.

While recovering from hewr illness Elesha read about Models for Diversity.

Since recovering Elesha has devoted herself to trying to inspire and encourage other sufferers.

She recently organised a fitness-themed calendar to raise money for charity as part of her campaign to raise awareness about primary bone cancer, which affects 600 people every year in the UK and Ireland.

Elesha came up with the inspirational idea to produce the 2015 calendar featuring people from all over the UK who have lived through cancer to raise cash for the Bone Cancer Research Trust.

The project proved to be a great success and Elisha then enlisted bone cancer survivor Ian Randall to photograph the piece, as well as attracting interest from patients and survivors in the USA.

To learn more visit http://www.activebeat.co/your-health/10-symptoms-and-treatments-for-bone-cancer.