Cerebral Palsy Won't Stop Hailey's Dreams Of Being A Fashion Model
I recently came across a photograph in my newsfeed of this bright soul, Hailey Villarreal. Debbie Porter is a friend of mine, a local photographer all-star who literally knows everyone here in Houston. She does a lot of work for the local community and seeing this story, I was so intrigued and had to reach out to see how I could help!
Hailey has ambitions of being in a fashion show on the runway. I immediately gravitated toward this story because of how amazing it would be to use our collective social network in the fashion industry to make it happen! You could play a role in sharing this story in the eyes of the right person as a catalyst in making her dreams come true. I just want to see this happen, don't you? Even if it meant attending a show, being in a shoot, or anything regarding fashion.
I reached out to Debbie and she connected me with her mother Coleen to find out the backstory. I was nearly in tears reading it. The story gets better, and she wants to become a model to become a role model to others who face similar disabilities in showing them that they can do anything!
If you're someone who could help make her dreams a reality, please get in touch with Coleen directly at coleenvilla@gmail.com.
Debbie is also an author behind a beautiful book called Fabulous Phebe that encourages kids to embrace their originality and embrace diversity. It's also become a show, with the premier happening on October 7th (more info).
INTERVIEW
1) How did Debbie and Hailey find each other?
Hailey and Debbie were meant to meet, there is no other way to describe it.
Hailey made it through a modeling/acting competition that will take her to LA in January with the opportunity to compete and be in front of several different agents and casting directors. We needed a photographer for head shots and through a friend of a friend... we found Debbie.
The rest is history!
2) Would you be able to tell us about Hailey's condition so people are more aware of her story?
Hailey has cerebral palsy which effects many premature babies, basically they have a stroke while being born.
She was born at 28 weeks, 2 pounds, and the size of a pencil. She would spend the next 3 months in the NICU until she was healthy and strong enough to come home.
Starting at just 8 months old she would start a journey that she will continue the rest of her life in physical therapy. Through the years this child has worked harder than any child should have to do, just to do the very basic things we take for granted every day. Imagine being trapped in your body... wanting to walk, stand up, skip, or run and play with friends. Unfortunately kids with CP don't do those things. They go to physical therapy and have surgeries just to get the most basic of movements.
We raised Hailey that she can do anything anyone else can do, sometimes we just have to do it a little differently.
"Mom, people wouldn't stare at me so much if kids like me were up on that gap sign, or any fashion place. "I mean kids with disabilities don't walk around naked... we wear cloths for goodness sake!"
3) What makes her want to be a fashion model?
Hailey LOVES fashion! We decided that the she has overcome so many diversities and we're excited about seeing her meet this goal. Where were the child actors/models with physical disabilities? Any time we were out it amazed me the amount of people that would stare at her... and I mean like you would have thought a UFO just landed in the mall kind of stare!
At first she was embarrassed and would just put her head down as if she didn't see any of it. As Hailey got older and more into modeling and acting she realized she had something all those kids that would stare and point didn't have, and that was the ability to educate people through her exposed with acting and modeling.
It was time to stand up and make kids with disabilities not people to stare at and point at because they are "different" in the eyes of those looking, because we all have differences!
Hailey told me, "Mom, people wouldn't stare at me so much if kids like me were up on that gap sign, or any fashion place. "I mean kids with disabilities don't walk around naked... we wear cloths for goodness sake!"
And so started our journey.
"...this child has worked harder than any child should have to do, just to do the very basic things we take for granted every day."
4) How would you say she has inspired others?
Hailey inspires others with her confidence. She started doing theater at Plano Children's Theater back in Dallas. She started with just classes then went on to audition and get parts in 5 major productions! She said she was ready to get up there and we would see who was up to the challenge.
Her last two productions were amazing, playing Tessie in Annie and Gus in CATS.
The best example of an inspiring moment was at the "Oscars" at the end of one season. Hailey was nominated for her roll as Tessie in ANNIE. As the evening went on awards were won and kids would run up on stage... everyone would clap and so on.
Now this room was packed with families and kids from countless productions most of which Hailey had not worked with. Her carafory came up... when they announced her as the winner there was applause from the crowd, then silence. You could hear a pin drop. What they didn't know was that it took this child a bit longer to get out of her chair and that one of the producers was helping her walk to the stage area. It was in that silence that another mom also yelled out "YOU GOT THIS HAILEY!" Then another helped put her walker at the top of the stairs of the stage as her producer helped her walk up the stairs. At that moment it became clear to everyone, and the entire room erupted in cheers and applause... it was simply amazing!
_
Thank you to Coleen for sharing her story!
If you're someone who could help make her dreams a reality, please get in touch with Coleen directly at coleenvilla@gmail.com.
