Eighteen-year-old Elisha Rodriguez Ford is a cancer survivor, battling a life threatening diagnosis. And with her family and friends by her side, she has courageously faced the fears and anxieties that come along with it and remained a fierce fighter.
On Friday, she walked into Jack Studios in Manhattan and took her first steps into the fashion industry with an exclusive photoshoot designed just for her.
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And it was quite the photo shoot inside the studio in Chelsea.
"This is my first time doing anything like this and if I'm being really honest, I actually really like it," she said. "It means the world to me. All of my life, people have been telling me I should try modeling. So when this opportunity came, I thought why not take advantage of it."
Make-A-Wish New Jersey was the driving force behind the event.
"She is an amazing girl who wanted to become a fashion model and do her own fashion shoot in none other than New York City, the fashion capital of the world," a Make-A-Wish official said. "So we are just here to pamper her and bring out the model that she truly is."
Former New York Giants star Carl Banks was among the team that helped grant Elisha's wish.
"There is nothing more gratifying than helping," he said. "A life of service is important to me personally."
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Elisha's unforgettable day came with the help and support of wish granting partners, G-III Apparel Group, including world renowned brands DKNY and Starter.
She and her friends were pampered with hair and makeup by celebrity makeup artist Frank Guyton, styled by wardrobe stylist Amanda Kraemer, and photographed by fashion photographer Greg Sorensen.
"It's a dream come true to be cancer free, and then I get this, it's amazing," she said. "I'm so grateful to the Make-A-Wish Foundation for doing all of this for me."
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