Teenager reaches for the stars
TEENAGER Venessa Harris endured 32 weeks of chemotherapy after a shock cancer diagnosis, but it has given her the chance to live her dream.
Venessa, 15, was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma in January 2015 and with the help of Make-A-Wish Australia has been thrust into the fashion world.
The teen, from Tara, was given front row seats to Sass and Bide’s show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week and was photographed wearing a dress from the designer label with her idol, model and Make-A-Wish ambassador Samantha Harris.
But she got to star in her own photo shoot, modelling Sass and Bide’s limited edition star power necklace, an initiative to raise funds for Make-A-Wish.
Photographed in Toowoomba by Matt Hickey, Vanessa said the experience had been amazing.
The shoot marked her return to modelling after
Ever since I was little I wanted to be famous for my modelling. — Venessa Harris
winning a model search organised by Tamblyn Models in 2014.
“Ever since I was little I wanted to be famous for my modelling,” she said.
Her mother Karen Harris said her daughter’s cancer was initially diagnosed as growing pains after she suffered from a sore leg.
“She had to teach herself to walk again with the help of physios at Lady Cilento and started a pretty strenuous exercise routine,” she said.
“I think her wish, meeting the people at Sass and Bide and having the opportunity of a photo shoot with Samantha Harris, was a turning point in her life.”
For the necklace go to sassandbide.com/ make-a-wish.