Talia Joy Castellano

www.nydailynews.com ()

"Just keep swimming." To Talia Joy Castellano this short saying from Finding Nemo, was much more than a quote from a childhood movie; to Talia, it was her life motto.Talia is known as the girl who refused to wear a wig. Makeup was Talia's wig, and she embraced who she was and the condition she was in.Talia spent most of her life living in Tampa florida with her mother and sister. She was diagnosed at age seven with neuroblastoma, a form of cancer that starts in the nerve cells. Talia is known as a hero throughout the whole world. Talia Castellano, a former cancer patient, CoverGirl, and fashion designer, is a hero because of her confidence despite her appearance, because she is an inspiration to others, and because of her determination to do what she loves.

(taliaslegacy.org ())

Talias big personality shows that she is confident with the person that she is and is comfortable in her own skin. "In between the infectious tutorials, she also recorded compelling and frank updates on her health. After being told last August that she might have only four months to live, she told her followers not to "freak out because it's not like it's tomorrow."(Hines, Nico. "The Inspirer") When Talia was told about how long she has to live, she didn't freak out, instead she lived in the moment. Talia had the courage to show her face to millions of viewers and tell them her health status no matter how sick she was or ill she looked. She knew that she would be judged for what she said or how she appeared, but her focus on inspiring others and changing the world kept her going.  Talias videos were a big part of who she was. In a LA Times article, author Saad, Nardine states "However, during her bouts with the disease, after she lost her hair, the affectionately called "professional, YouTube Makeup Guru" refused to don a wig. Instead, she chose to boost her self-confidence by experimenting with makeup at the behest of one of her mom's friends, who also battled cancer. Castellano then started taping herself giving makeup tutorials and posted the videos on YouTube. One clip reached more than 8 million views, and numerous videos earned more than 500,000." (Saad, Nardine) Talia used what she loved to do to keep her confident. While most women would have chosen to just worn a wig Talia chose a different route. Talia knew that she was being different and would probably get judged because of that. She didn't let her illness stop her from doing what she loved, and instead of sitting around and crying about her illness she decided to go out and use what she loves to inspire other girls like her. Despite Talia losing her hair due to the chemo and cancer treatments, she shows her determination and courage to show up on tv shows and on YouTube without a wig. Her passion is her wig and it shows the way she expresses herself.

www.fastnewsrelease.com ()

People of all ages and social classes look up to Talia and inspiring story. Nico Hines from the The Inspirer magazine stated "in search of her influence on her peers, I called BASE Camp in central Florida, a charity that cares for young cancer sufferers and their families. Talia was a regular participant, often talking new arrivals through the treatments they would face, or reassuring them that upcoming tests would not hurt. Katelyn, a 6-year-old girl known as "KK" who suffers from acute lymphocytic leukemia and is a current BASE Camp participant, told me Talia was her idol. "All I want is to look like Talia when I go bald. So beautiful!" she said." people who don't even know Talia look up to her courage and her determination. Talias beauty was not only on the outside, but on the inside as well. Close family friend Terri Robbins stated "Talia embraced the fact that she was not going to have a long life. Her approach had a huge impact on the others," Robbins said. "When we watched her TV appearance, she just quietly smiled. She was really proud of what she had done." as Talia lived her life to the fullest, she inspired other people around her to do the same. Talia believed that in order to have a happy life you need to live like there is no tomorrow.

Talia was determined to spend her life doing what she loved while she still could and she did not let anything stop her.in a world entertainment news article, the author stated "Castellano first shot to fame by hosting make-up tutorials on YouTube and won a fan in comedienne Ellen DeGeneres, who invited her to host segments on her daily TV show in America." In tribute article for Talia after her passing, the author stated "The fashion-forward teen, who launched her own clothing line and became an honorary model for makeup brand CoverGirl, passed away on Tuesday" Talia worked hard for what she earned and she realized although her illness was a horrible thing, it was also a gift and it touched the life of millions. Talia didn't hide her face in the fear of others disapproval, instead she showed what she had to offer with a 'take me or leave me" attitude.

Talia Joy Castellano is a hero to millions because of her inspiring life and her confidence as well as her determination. Talia was happy with the life she had "Having cancer has been a gift, yet a horrible, horrible terrifying thing," she added. "But I've gotten so many benefits from it ... having a YouTube channel and having to inspire people and having people look up to me and explaining to you guys how I adore and love makeup -- using it as my wig -- and having so much self-confidence and going out to the grocery store without a wig. It's amazing but the journey of having cancer was amazing but every journey has an end." (Saad, Nardine)

 

Works Cited

"Cancer-stricken teen Talia Castellano dies at 13." UPI NewsTrack 16 July 2013. Student Resources in Context.

Web. 26 Jan. 2016.

FASHION-FORWARD YOUTUBE TEEN LOSES CANCER BATTLE." World Entertainment News Network 16

July 2013. Biography in Context. Web. 26 Jan. 2016.

Hines, Nico. "The Inspirer." Newsweek 24 July 2013: 1. Student Resources in Context. Web. 29 Jan.

2016.

Saad, Nardine. "Talia Castellano: Ellen DeGeneres' Honorary CoverGirl Dies at 13." Los

Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2013. Web. 29 Jan. 2016.