When a 15-year-old puts on a few pounds, it’s often blamed on too many slices of pizza, or too many hours hanging out online with friends. But what if it’s something more serious? According to a report from Fox News, Peyton Linafelter found she was dealing with something much more threatening. She had stage IV ovarian cancer.
A modeling agency has just plucked Peyton from obscurity signing her as a model. She was 15 years old. Life would never be the same. She was on her way. Then she started feeling ill.
She was vomiting, and her stomach kept getting larger. Although a problem from time to time for most of us, for a young model, this was definitely not the direction she wanted to be going. She thought cutting down on carbs would be the answer. Within months, she looked pregnant. Her back and abdomen were causing her pain.
Diagnosed with ovarian cysts, Peyton was taken to the hospital for further examination on her 16th birthday. Her specialists changed the diagnosis to stage 4 ovarian cancer that had moved to her abdomen and lungs. Treatments were begun immediately and included chemotherapy and surgery.
The surgery and chemo were successful. The scar running from her chest to her bikini line was impressive. Peyton didn’t care. Neither did the modeling agency, which she had joined before her diagnosis. In fact, they thought she was an inspiration to others.
Now Peyton has done a television spot to promote cancer awareness, is modeling, and is a brave new voice for women to be very aware of their health and their bodies.
To read more about the promising future of this young health advocate, click here.
